Soccer player Everton Luiz leaves field in tears after racist abuse during match

Partizan midfielder Everton Luiz left the soccer field in tears after suffering racist abuse from fans during his team's 1-0 victory on Sunday.

Supporters of the local rivals Rad allegedly unveiled a racially offensive banner that was later removed by stewards.

The fans were said to have persisted even after being warned by the referee and announcers to cease the abuse, only to later make monkey noises in Luiz's direction.

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Luiz reportedly directed a one-fingered gesture in the direction of Rad fans at the final whistle. He eventually left the field, wiping tears away while being embraced by teammates.

"I've been suffering racist abuse during the entire 90 minutes and also was upset by the home players, who supported that. They were all attacking me," Luiz shared with reporters following the match. "I want to forget this as soon as possible. I love Serbia and the people here, that is why I cried.

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"It's a return to the reality of Serbian football," Partizan coach Marko Nikolic told reporters after the game. "Everton should not have reacted but something provoked his outburst, didn't it?"

Luiz has played for Serbia for a little over a year since first joining the Swiss league in January 2016.

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