Jestrovic’s is the first known case of a player being sent off for racial abuse

Nenad Jestrovic, Anderlecht’s Serbia and Montenegro striker, could be banned for up to six matches if he is found guilty of racially abusing Mohamed Sissoko during Liverpool’s 3-0 Champions League victory at Anfield on Tuesday evening.

Uefa confirmed on Wednesday that it will hear the case against Jestrovic at a meeting of its Control and Disciplinary Body in Switzerland on Monday after Kim Milton Nielsen, the referee, recorded the alleged incident in his official match report.

It is the first known case of a player being sent off for racial abuse, though in an astonishing coincidence, Ben May, the Millwall forward, was also shown a red card on Wednesday night for allegedly racially abusing Frank Sinclair, of Burnley, during a Coca-Cola Championship match at the New Den. The only previous incident of a player being reprimanded by Uefa for racism was that of another Serbian, Sinisa Mihajlovic. The defender, who was playing for Lazio at the time, pleaded guilty for racially insulting Patrick Vieira during a Champions League match against Arsenal in 2000.

Jestrovic had been on the pitch only five minutes when, after an innocuous clash with Sissoko, he is claimed to have muttered the words “F*** off, black” at the Mali midfield player.

Jestrovic claimed that he had sworn at Sissoko only after the player insulted him, but the tirade was heard by Nielsen, who showed the substitute a red card before informing Knud Stadsgaard, the Uefa delegate, that the alleged abuse had been racial. “This type of behaviour deserves a serious punishment by Uefa because it sets a bad example for the whole world and must be settled rapidly,” Sissoko said.

Uefa officials are also understood to be dismayed by the reaction of Frank Vercauteren, the Anderlecht coach, who refused to condemn racist behaviour when asked about Jestrovic’s alleged comments.

The incident comes less than three months after CSKA Sofia were fined euros 19,500 by Uefa after its supporters taunted Djibril Cisse, the Liverpool striker, with “monkey noises” during the Merseyside club’s 3-1 Champions League win in Bulgaria.