Manchester City have complained to UEFA after Mario Botelli had Porto fans making monkey noises aimed at him.
Teammate Yaya Toure said he heard the fans making the racist chants and said: “That’s why we all like the Premier League, because it never happens there. “Maybe in foreign countries they don’t expect black players.”
Manchester City’s 21-year-old Italian star was the target of the Porto fans on a number of occasions in the first half, and again later on when he was substituted.
A city spokesperson acknowledged that Mario knew what was going on, and that a complaint to UEFA has been lodged.
Toure added: “Football is football and the fans come to enjoy the game but we don’t want things like this to happen.
“Mario is now able to control things like this and that is very important for the club.
Strong “I think in future it will be OK, they will change their minds and the game will become more open.”
City manager Roberto Mancini said: “I didn’t hear it because I was concentrating on the game, but I think Mario and Yaya are strong.”
Mancini was delighted with his clubs away performance and expects them to progress to the next round saying: “I think we are maybe 60 per cent likely to go to the next stage. But we’re playing Porto — they’ve shown they are a top team and it will be another difficult game in Manchester.
“We have to show the same concentration we showed tonight.”
