Diouf asked to apologise for race-hate claim

El-Hadji Diouf has been urged to retract a claim that he was subjected to racial abuse while playing for Blackburn at Everton on Sunday.

Diouf, who is being investigated by Merseyside Police for alleged racial abuse of a 14-year-old ball boy at the match, had claimed that bananas were thrown at him by spectators.

But Everton insist there is no evidence to back up the Senegalese striker’s claims.

Club spokesman Ian Ross said: “I don’t think there’s a worse allegation in modern sport than racism and it works both ways. At the moment, and from my perspective, it looks like Mr Diouf is accusing Everton fans of racist behaviour.

“The police will tell you that is completely untrue and in such circumstances we would expect him to apologise and retract his allegations.”