Auxerre want probe into alleged racial slur by assistant referee

PARIS (Reuters) -- AJ Auxerre want the French League to probe alleged racist remarks made by an assistant referee to midfielder Kamel Chafni in a Ligue 1 game at Stade Brest on Saturday.

Moroccan Chafni claimed assistant referee Johan Perruaux told him 'get lost, Arab'.

Chafni reported it to referee Tony Chapron but was booked and then sent off.

"If it is true, it's serious and that is why I will ask the League to open an investigation," Auxerre president Gerard Bourgoin was quoted as saying by sports daily L'Equipe on Sunday.

"This matter must be cleared up. Some Brest players heard the same thing. So I don't think it's the player's imagination."

"There is a foul that is not sanctioned, I got to the assistant referee to tell him it's not normal," Chafni told L'Equipe.

"He answers: 'get lost, Arab' (...) I go to the field referee and I tell him what happened and he gives me a yellow card. I tell him it is unacceptable and he shows me a red card."

Chapron denied his assistant had made a racial slur at Chafni.

"I deny all allegations," he told reporters after the game.

"I know the man (...) and I can tell you that he would never make racist remarks."

The French League were not immediately reachable for comment.

Brest won the match 1-0.