Pep Guardiola lends support to Fred after racism chants; club condemns the incident

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly spoken to Manchester United midfielder Fred after the Manchester derby. It is reported that the player was subjected to racial abuse during the Manchester derby. The match ended in Manchester United’s favour with a 2-1 scoreline.

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Fred was targetted with lighters and other objects

There was an incident of a fan gesturing towards Fred and Jesse Lingard at the Etihad stadium. Fred was also hit by a lighter along with several objects thrown at other United players. Pep Guardiola approached Fred after the post-match press conference to speak on the incident.

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Manchester City condemned the incident

Manchester City released an official statement condemning the incident, and the authorities also acted at the earliest. A 41-year-old man was arrested by Greater Manchester Police on Sunday, December 8, 2019 on suspicion of racism. The Football Association (FA) has also condemned the incident and has assured an investigation.

While speaking to ESPN Brazil, Fred stated that he believes that they were still living in a backward society. He accepted that he was hit by a lighter, but he still tried to ignore such situations. He felt that it was unfortunate that such incidents had happened in the past with his teammates, but he had to move forward.

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Manchester United defeated Manchester City in the Derby clash

Manchester United defeated Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, December 7, 2019. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial scored for the Red Devils in the first half of the match. Nicolas Otamendi scored in the 85th minute, but he could not salvage a point from the match. The defeat leaves Manchester City third in the Premier League table, behind Liverpool and Leicester City. Manchester United are fifth in the Premier League with two consecutive wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

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