Damien Duff has claimed that one of his Shelbourne backroom team received racial abuse during Friday night's game at Richmond Park against St Pats.
Shelbourne won 2-1 in the cross-city derby - their fifth win of the season - to remain in the ascendancy in the Premier Division table.
It has been a dream start on the pitch for head coach Duff and his Shels players, but the former Ireland manager would allege in his post-match interview that Shels' fitness coach Mauro Martins had received racial abuse from a section of St Pats fans during Friday's game.
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Damien Duff claims Shelbourne coach received racist abuse from opposition fans
15 March 2024; Shelbourne manager Damien Duff celebrates after his side's victory in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between St Patrick's Athletic and Shelbourne at Richmond Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Speaking to the media after his side's victory in Inchicore, Damien Duff said that Martins had been racially abused from the crowd during the game.
Duff went on to say that the abuse received by Martins had motivated his squad to win the game for their Portuguese fitness coach:
Here sometimes you have to bite your tongue. Last week, my mam, my dad, and my brothers were getting abused.
Tonight, Mauro our fitness coach - not one of the best in the league, one of the best in the world, from Portugal - he got racially abused. That's why it's a special night, not for the club really but for him. That's all I'll say on the matter.
At the end of the day, in a strange way, I'd thank the fans because it gave us an extra incentive to go and do it for Mauro. We're a family - we're not a squad, we're not a football club, we're a family. The lads were desperate to go and get the win for Mauro.
Duff also said that he was unsure of the formal process for reporting such abuse, but that he hoped the authorities would deal with the incident:
I'll leave it up to whoever the relevant people are.
I don't know who you have to speak to in this country.
I don't know who takes it over now. Something been said, there's obviously no proof, it'll get brushed under the carpet.
The Independent report that the abusive shout in question came from an underage opposition fan.
Shelbourne's night was spoiled by the abuse received by Martins, but the action on the pitch was once again the stuff of dreams for the Drumcondra club. They now sit on five wins from six, and are already five points clear at the top of the table in the early stages of the season.
Elsewhere on Friday night, Bohemians held on to claim a much-needed win against Derry City at Dalymount Park in the first game of the post-Declan Devine era.
15 March 2024; James Akintunde of Bohemians celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Bohemians and Derry City at Dalymount Park in Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Shamrock Rovers struck late to claim their first win of the season at Galway United, with the winner coming from Johnny Kenny six minutes from time.
Shelbourne remain top of the table, five points clear of Derry City in second place, with Waterford three points further back.
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