ARSENAL legend Emmanuel Petit urged Manchester United to take serious action against the fans who subjected Manchester City star Phil Foden to vile chants during the derby.
Foden, 24, was targeted on Sunday by some United supporters during Man City’s goalless draw at Old Trafford with horrible songs about his mother Claire Rowlands.
Petit, 54, fully backs the England international and slammed the repulsive behaviour he had to endure by calling for severe repercussions for the guilty parties.
So much so that the Arsenal legend insists Man Utd should show “zero tolerance” and suggested there should be lifetime bans for those targeting loved ones, including children.
Petit told SunSport, on behalf of William Hill,: “Sometimes [they chant about] your mother, children [or about] your father who is dead. If I am Manchester United, I would be very hard on my own fans. I will say zero tolerance.
“You know you did that. We got the images. We have the proof you’ve done that. You’re out of the game, you’re out of the stadium.
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“You don’t come back. We don’t need you. We don’t want you back in the stadium. You are not the fans we want.
“So that, for me, is very simple with everything there is – there is cameras everywhere. We know who do that. So it’s very simple to take action from that. “
Petit knows all about this awful vitriol some players go through as he also received despicable chants about his family, while some yobs targeted him with racist songs back in his playing days.
The France legend would often get his revenge on the pitch by focusing on his game and delivering a stunning performance that shut the hecklers down, but even that was sometimes not enough.
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Petit added: “Back in the day when I was playing, I received some bad comments as well. Sometimes they used to call me Gypsy, and they said things about my family. There, I received some racist comments as well.
“I tried to avoid them all the time. I tried to protect myself not to get emotional about this. And I tried as much as possible.
“The best answer you can give is on the pitch – just win the game, shut your mouth and leave the game.
“But when you go back in the dressing room, even if you do that, you have the feeling, ‘What the f***? I mean, I kept control. I did everything I should do on the pitch, I won the game… I just gave the best answer for those f****** p*****’.
“But in the meantime, what’s next? Are they going to be in trouble? No.”
Petit called on the powers that be to finally get “ruthless” and start handing out severe punishments to such “stupid people”.
The former midfielder supports campaigns by Fifa and Uefa dedicated to ending racism within the game, but he insists examples need to be made to eradicate this sort of “disease”.
Petit said: “I’m talking about what happened in Manchester United, but it’s everywhere, the same. Fifa and Uefa, those guys, have to be ruthless. They have to take decisions and they have to make examples out of it.
“I think in France is the same. I think sometimes those who are responsible of the game don’t take those problems seriously.
“It’s funny to see the message that Uefa or Fifa try to send every time there is a fight against racism. You want to do it? Do it properly.
“I mean clubs, they are protecting their fans all the time. They have to be ruthless. So what can I say more honestly? It’s a pity, it’s a disease.
“This is something that we’ve been fighting against in football for years, and years, and years. I think the sanctions, the fines, should be more important, because you can identify people easily with cameras in a stadium. So something has to be done.
Refs need to take action
“Those stupid people, they feel free to do what they want to do in a ground.
“What is the point of spending money, buying a ticket to watch the game, and then you go there and just make some very bad comments about family, about loved ones, the skin of one’s colour, or religion? I don’t know. I don’t get it, honestly.
“So for me, it’s a disease in football, it’s a disease on social networks. And those people who are responsible of the game or social networks, I think they have to step up and take their responsibility.”
Petit believes everything starts with the referee and urged officials to stop the match and order the teams back into their dressing rooms even if only one player is subjected to such vile chants.
He said: “Well, I think the referee has to take the decision as well. They should stop the game. No more of that, send a strong message every time you hear bad comments, racist comments about family, stop the game. That’s it. Send the players back into the dressing room.
“Because I think it’s very easy for so many people to hide behind their fingers. So I think referees have to to step up to make a strong decision, even if it’s not popular.
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“But as well, the players. I’ve seen the last few years some players and teams leaving the pitch after racist comments about their team-mates. And this is one solution.
“But in the meantime, it’s not the priority of the players to do that. They’ve been paid to play. Those people in charge of the laws, they have to step up and take the responsibility, and it starts with the referee.”
