Queens Park Rangers have withdrawn from a youth tournament in Milan after one of their young players was subjected to racist abuse, prompting the club to take immediate action.
The incident occurred during the Winter Cup in Italy, where QPR’s Under-13 side had been competing over the weekend.
Following a fixture on Saturday, one of the club’s players became the target of racist remarks from an opposition player at the conclusion of the match.
Despite progressing to the next stage of the tournament on sporting merit, QPR made the decision not to continue their involvement.
QPR also released an official club statement confirming their withdrawal and outlining the circumstances surrounding the decision.
They prioritised the welfare and protection of their young players above the competition itself.
QPR Academy Director Alex Carroll expressed pride in how the youngsters handled the situation.
He also stressed that the club maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination of any kind. Alex Carroll said in the statement:
“It is regrettable to find ourselves in such a situation. Providing our youngsters with exposure to tournaments in different countries can be hugely beneficial for their development.
“However, we have a zero-tolerance stance on all forms of discrimination and will always take the steps necessary to protect our players.
“We are incredibly proud of the way our boys handled a very difficult situation. The club’s safeguarding team are now in contact with those impacted by this incident.”
The affected players are due to return to London on Sunday evening, with QPR’s safeguarding team already in contact with those impacted to provide ongoing support.
QPR can confirm its withdrawal from the Winter Cup, a youth tournament in Milan.
This action was taken after one of our U13 players was subjected to racist abuse from an opponent on Saturday.
Despite progressing to the next stage, we will not be continuing our involvement.
— QPR FC (@QPR) December 14, 2025
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