Rose gets AVB backing

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has vowed support for Danny Rose, who was allegedly subjected to racial abuse on England under-21 duty.

Rose, currently on loan at Sunderland, was part of the youthful England side that qualified for Euro 2013 after a 1-0 second-leg victory against Serbia in Krusevac on Tuesday.

The defender claimed that he was the target of racist chanting during an ill-tempered affair at Mladost Stadium.

The 22-year-old also said that stones were thrown at him during the game, and Villas-Boas has called on football authorities to take a stronger stance over racial abuse.

“Obviously it is extremely difficult for Danny and he was disappointed by what happened, the situation he had to live with and the atmosphere that he had to be confronted with,” Villas-Boas told London 24.

“I told Danny, and I tell you now, that I support him completely in this situation. He felt abused and this is obviously a serious matter which at the moment is in the hands of the FA in a certain way.

“The governing bodies have made quite a strong stance in England, which is fully appreciated, but hopefully UEFA can give us a little bit more of an indication about what they are expecting to do.

“We’ve spoken so much about this kind of situation that it’s almost like we haven’t put a brake into these events that we have to deal with on a weekly basis, which is very sad.”

Football has been rocked by several high-profile cases surrounding issues of racism, including the incident between Chelsea defender John Terry and QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.

The 35-year-old Villas-Boas is hoping football can take inspiration from the London 2012 Olympics and that authorities take a hard-line stance on such issues.

He added: “At the moment I think it’s important to see actions instead of words. Our words on the recent events from the last year or so, or even more, probably haven’t been enough.

“I think the governing bodies have to act a little bit quicker and in a more aggressive way so we can in some way serve as an example in this massive sport, and hopefully equal the Olympics in a certain way.”