England U17s win stopped twice over 'racist abuse'

There was a lengthy delay in the second half

England Under-17s' 2-1 friendly win over Venezuela was halted twice after reports of racist abuse.

The players left the pitch during the second half in Duisburg, Germany, while the referee dealt with the incidents.

It is unclear which player the abuse was directed at, but BBC Sport has been told the alleged abuse came from one or more members of the opposition team.

England manager Liam Bramley consoled his players as they walked off.

"This is being treated with the utmost seriousness and our priority is to support our players and staff," said a Football Association spokesperson.

"We are in ongoing discussions with tournament organisers and the relevant authorities about next steps."

Metz's Brian Madjo and Chelsea's Ryan Kavuma-McQueen scored as England came from behind to win.

It was the first of three games in Duisburg before their Euro 2026 qualifiers in Lithuania next month.