Kamara booed by schoolchildren and sent off as Rangers lose at Sparta Prague

Glen Kamara was routinely booed in a stadium full of schoolchildren and then sent off as Rangers fell to a 1-0 Europa League defeat against Sparta Prague.

Kamara was clearly targeted by some of the 10,000 fans six months after being subjected to abuse by Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela, which earned the Czech Republic defender a 10-game UEFA ban.

The Letna Stadium was originally meant to be shut for this game following a separate racist charge against Sparta after Monaco's Aurelius Tchouameni was subjected to abuse last season.

UEFA instead agreed to a proposal for the game to go ahead in front of mainly schoolchildren with some accompanying adults, but booing was audible any time Kamara touched the ball.

Kamara was jeered by fans whenever he touched the ball in Prague ( Image:

MARTIN DIVISEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The biggest cheers of the night outside the one which greeted David Hancko's first-half headed goal came after Kamara received both of his yellow cards for fouls on Michal Sacek.

The Finland midfielder, who served a three-game ban following an alleged assault on Kudela in the Ibrox tunnel, was booked just before half-time for a tackle. He was harshly penalised in the 74th minute when Turkish referee Ali Palabıyık ruled his arm had been raised dangerously in an aerial challenge.

Rangers were already struggling to get back into the game and the 10 men could not avert a second defeat out of two Group A matches.

Shortly after the match Kamara's lawyer Aamer Anwar issued a statement.

It read: "I had hoped when I heard of the stadium closure of Sparta Prague that both Glen and other black players wouldn't have to put up with any abuse or racism and could just get on with playing football.

"But this evening should be an embarrassment for the Czech side that, despite their fans being banned, it still made little difference that the stadium was filled with 10,000 schoolchildren.

Kamara was consoled by manager Steven Gerrard after he was sent off ( Image:

AFP via Getty Images)

"A huge proportion of those children booed Glen's every touch of the ball along with every other black player for Rangers. Tonight shows yet again that Prague has a serious problem with racism & as usual UEFA is nowhere to be seen.

"Glen and the Rangers players have shown total class, but no player should have to face this at their work and on the European stage."