Raging Red Star stopper Gueye guns for Beasley

RAGING Red Star defender Ibrahima Gueye last night hit back at Rangers star DaMarcus Beasley over claims that the Belgrade fans are racist.

And the Senegalese stopper insisted HE is the only proof needed to show followers of the Serbian club aren't bigots.

Gueye joined Red Star from Turkish side Samsunspor last year and hasn't encountered any problems from the punters.

The Serbian champions have been riled by Beasley's revelations that he suffered abuse during a game against Red Star for former club PSV Eindhoven three years ago.

He made the claims after scoring in the last Champions League qualifying round against FK Zeta to line up a clash with the former European champs.

The American said: "It was terrible. You get chants and monkey noises. It's mad that you have to suffer these acts of racism."

But Gueye - one of two black players who featured for the Serbs in their first-leg defeat at Ibrox last week - said: "I'm the best example that Red Star fans are NOT racist. I've been in Belgrade for a year and have never had a problem.

"I don't just mean inside our stadium. I'm talking about when I walk around the city centre. That gives you an overall idea of the people in Serbia.

"There is a lot of anger over what has been said about the Red Star supporters.

"I don't know why Beasley said those things - in my experience Belgrade is not like that.

"The people here are very nice but the atmosphere will be hostile for the Rangers game as it will be a full house.

"It will be a bit like what we had to deal with in the first leg at Ibrox last week."

Rangers are concerned about the safety of their fans for the return leg and have opted to take just 1,000 tickets for the clash at the vast Marakana stadium on August 28.

But Red Star board member and Serbian FA official Dobrivoje Tanasijevic has also defended his club against accusations of racism and hooliganism. And he insists travelling fans have nothing to fear.

Tanasijevic said: "We are sports participants, not hooligans.

"We haven't created hooliganism - it was created in other countries and brought across to Serbia.

"However, we have never had a hooligan problem at home in our international matches or our domestic games.

"There are individuals who cause trouble but we don't have thousands of people travelling and beating people up.

"We are hurt after reading the claims from Beasley.

"I just want you to know that no one from Scotland, or any other country, will have problems in Serbia.

"We are not aggressors even though, in some political circles, we are called that.

"We love sports and love people. We also like to win - so be careful Rangers."

In another amazing twist to the war of words between the teams, one Red Star official claimed Serbian journalists were verbally abused at Ibrox.

And the club's press officer Milan Boskovic insisted Rangers were to blame as they put the visiting scribes in amongst the Gers support.

He said: "Our journalists were amongst the Rangers fans and there were some insults.

"A supporter was removed and he was calling the writers refugees and peasants.

"I have told Rangers about the complaints from our journalists.

"It's unusual for the press to be with the fans because at Red Star we have a media centre that's completely isolated.

"It's an unfortunate situation but everything is perfectly professional from OUR side.

"You always have individuals who can create a bad atmosphere and we shouldn't put too much focus on it.

"I've been all around the world and I'm sure people have heard a lot of racist chants at football games - especially in the Spanish and Italian leagues.

"Serbia isn't the only country where pressure is put on players by noisy fans.

"One of the worst things I have seen came in England.We played Leicester City seven years ago in the UEFA Cup and there was an incident.

"Their fans were making aeroplane signs to imitate the NATO bombings during the war in Yugoslavia. For me that was WORSE than racist chants.

"People in Serbia were killed at that time during the war so it was shocking.

"But when Scottish supporters come to Belgrade we will be more than welcoming."