Thursday 28 March 2019 15:53, UK
Brighton boss Chris Hughton has heaped praise on Callum Hudson-Odoi and Raheem Sterling for handling racist abuse in Montenegro on Monday.
Montenegro were charged with racist behaviour by UEFA after England's players were subjected to abuse in their European Qualifier, which the Three Lions won 5-1.
Chelsea's 18-year-old winger Hudson-Odoi also suffered alleged racist abuse during the Europa League win at Dynamo Kiev on March 14 and was targeted alongside Sterling - who was a victim of racist chanting earlier this season.
Hudson-Odoi and Sterling both spoke maturely in their post-match interviews about the issue of racism in football which has been prominent recently, which Hughton applauded, alongside praise of England's staff and the FA.
"I think that there are different aspects of it," the Brighton manager said. "The FA and the England national team, and management, have handled it very well.
"Two very young individuals spoke really well. They certainly spoke more intelligently than I would have done at their age. I applaud the FA, the way they've conducted it all, and the individuals themselves.
"I think the scenes [of racist abuse] was not a surprise. For anybody it was a surprise to, they haven't been made aware or seen some of the scenes that have happened [this season[.
"We have worked very hard to eradicate it from the stadiums in England, we're putting more pressure on clubs, naming certain individuals, but it's still a big problem abroad.
"The only thing that can happen, or has to happen, is tougher penalties. It's the only way. We can't stop it, we can try to limit it, but we can't stop it.
"It's about society. The nature of football can bring out the best in people, but it can also bring out the worst in people."
Brighton, who are currently 15th in the Premier League, host 16th-placed Southampton on Saturday having won back-to-back top-flight games.
"We can't afford to think about being safe yet - this weekend is a big game against a team in the same area as ourselves," Hughton added.
"Ralph has done a very good job since arriving at Southampton. He's combined a good way of playing with getting results - their recent matches have seen them put in very good performances.
"My responsibility is to make sure this club are in this league next season. I don't think about a specific points tally - the next best chance we have for a win is Saturday, and that's what we'll focus on."
