Football was hit by a fresh racism storm after the referee was forced TWICE to stop Feyenoord's highly-charged Europa League tie against Roma following apparent incidents of racism. Referee Clement Turpin briefly held up the match towards the end of the first half after an inflatable banana landed on the pitch near Roma's Ivory Coast forward Gervinho on Thursday. The 32-year-old French official spoke to both managers and a UEFA official before resuming the match. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Inflatable banana thrown at Gervinho by Feyenoord fans . An inflatable banana landed on the pitch near Roma forward Gervinho during Europa League tie . A ball boy removed the inflatable banana after Roma captain Francesco Totti had spoken to the referee . Gervinho was seen exchanging words with some supporters after the ball had gone out for a throw . Referee Clement Turpin spoke to Gervinho, both managers and a UEFA official about the incident . But Turpin was forced to to take both teams off the pitch amid concerns for the safety of the players in the 55th minute, following the controversial dismissal of Feyenoord's Mitchell Te Vrede for a challenge on Kostas Manola. The teams returned about 10 minutes later and almost immediately substitute Elvis Manu equalised for the Dutch side but Gervinho put Roma 2-1 in front three minutes later which was the final score, giving them a 3-2 win on aggregate. 'It was right to suspend play as we could have opened a shop with all the objects that were thrown from the stands,' Roma coach Rudi Garcia told Italy's Mediaset channel. 'It doesn't help the club, and I'll never cheer that,' Feyenoord coach Fred Rutten said. 'Those sorts of things only hurt Feyenoord. It's a shame it happened.' Roma fans who try to leave the old harbour in Rotterdam are stopped by police before the match . The first leg of the last 32 tie had been marred by crowd trouble and Rotterdam police were out in force . Roma fans were escorted from Amsterdam to Rotterdam by Dutch police in a bid to prevent trouble . Roma supporters were also transported by bus to De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam . Around 2,7000 Roma fans had travelled to Holland for the highly-charged second leg of last 32 tie . Turpin also briefly stopped proceedings in the first half after an inflatable banana was launched onto the field. Rutten denied racism was at play. 'There is such a fuss made about it. I don't see it that way,' he said. 'We have different nationalities in our team. It's nonsense. We make too much of it.' It came a week after Chelsea were forced to apologise after video footage emerged of fans stopping a black man getting onto a train in Paris after a Champions League tie. The first leg of the last 32 tie had been marred by crowd trouble and Rotterdam police were out in force on Thursday night. Officers arrested 17 Dutch nationals and five Italians before the match. Police spokesman Gijs van Nimwegen said the fans were held for a variety of offenses, including fighting, possession of fireworks, and not following police orders. He said two people were found to be carrying knives, but could not say what nationality they were. 'It has been very busy for the police,' Van Nimwegen said. 'We have put a lot of energy into stopping fights. ... If we had done nothing, there could have been a lot of fighting.' Referee Clement Turpin speaks with a UEFA official on the touchline amid concerns for the players' safety . The controversial dismissal of Feyenoord's Mitchell Te Vrede in the second half sparked crowd unrest . PSV head coach Fred Tutten leaves the pitch after referee halted the game in the second half . Feyenoord's (L) and Roma's players leave the pitch after the match was interrupted for second time . Former Arsenal forward Gervinho scored the winner as Roma secured a 3-2 aggregate victory . Police were bent on avoiding a repeat of last week's violence in Rome. Police on horseback led hundreds of Roma fans to Feyenoord's stadium for the late evening kickoff. Feyenoord fans rioted in Rome before the round-of-32 first leg, clashing with police, damaging a recently renovated fountain, and leaving part of the city's historic center strewn with beer cans and smashed bottles. The match ended 1-1, setting up a tense return leg. Police estimated about 2,700 Roma fans would travel to Rotterdam for the match at 50,000-seat De Kuip Stadium. A small number of Italian police who know the Roma fans were to be on hand to help their Dutch counterparts identify possible hooligans. Van Nimwegen said 83 Roma fans were denied entry into Amsterdam, and when they arrived in Rotterdam in two buses they were taken to a police station near the stadium and then taken directly to the stadium. Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb drafted an emergency order that police could invoke if hooligans begin rioting, giving police enhanced powers to detain fans and eject them from the city. Roma fans gathered around the city's historic old harbor and were kept segregated from Feyenoord fans. Buses were to transport them to the stadium ahead of the match. Dutch authorities have said they will support private fundraising initiatives aimed at helping to pay for the repair of the 400-year-old Fountain of the Barcaccia that was damaged last week in Rome. Aboutaleb says the hooligans responsible for the damage should ultimately be prosecuted and made to foot the bill.
Feyenoord's Europa League match with Roma was suspended early in the second half due to crowd trouble .
Referee led the players off the pitch in the 55th minute after fans threw objects onto the pitch .
Gervinho scored the winner to seal a 3-2 win on aggregate for Roma in Europa League last 32 tie .
Football was hit by a fresh racism storm after the referee was forced TWICE to stop Feyenoord's highly-charged Europa League tie against Roma following apparent incidents of racism. Referee Clement Turpin briefly held up the match towards the end of the first half after an inflatable banana landed on the pitch near Roma's Ivory Coast forward Gervinho on Thursday. The 32-year-old French official spoke to both managers and a UEFA official before resuming the match. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Inflatable banana thrown at Gervinho by Feyenoord fans . An inflatable banana landed on the pitch near Roma forward Gervinho during Europa League tie . A ball boy removed the inflatable banana after Roma captain Francesco Totti had spoken to the referee . Gervinho was seen exchanging words with some supporters after the ball had gone out for a throw . Referee Clement Turpin spoke to Gervinho, both managers and a UEFA official about the incident . But Turpin was forced to to take both teams off the pitch amid concerns for the safety of the players in the 55th minute, following the controversial dismissal of Feyenoord's Mitchell Te Vrede for a challenge on Kostas Manola. The teams returned about 10 minutes later and almost immediately substitute Elvis Manu equalised for the Dutch side but Gervinho put Roma 2-1 in front three minutes later which was the final score, giving them a 3-2 win on aggregate. 'It was right to suspend play as we could have opened a shop with all the objects that were thrown from the stands,' Roma coach Rudi Garcia told Italy's Mediaset channel. 'It doesn't help the club, and I'll never cheer that,' Feyenoord coach Fred Rutten said. 'Those sorts of things only hurt Feyenoord. It's a shame it happened.' Roma fans who try to leave the old harbour in Rotterdam are stopped by police before the match . The first leg of the last 32 tie had been marred by crowd trouble and Rotterdam police were out in force . Roma fans were escorted from Amsterdam to Rotterdam by Dutch police in a bid to prevent trouble . Roma supporters were also transported by bus to De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam . Around 2,7000 Roma fans had travelled to Holland for the highly-charged second leg of last 32 tie . Turpin also briefly stopped proceedings in the first half after an inflatable banana was launched onto the field. Rutten denied racism was at play. 'There is such a fuss made about it. I don't see it that way,' he said. 'We have different nationalities in our team. It's nonsense. We make too much of it.' It came a week after Chelsea were forced to apologise after video footage emerged of fans stopping a black man getting onto a train in Paris after a Champions League tie. The first leg of the last 32 tie had been marred by crowd trouble and Rotterdam police were out in force on Thursday night. Officers arrested 17 Dutch nationals and five Italians before the match. Police spokesman Gijs van Nimwegen said the fans were held for a variety of offenses, including fighting, possession of fireworks, and not following police orders. He said two people were found to be carrying knives, but could not say what nationality they were. 'It has been very busy for the police,' Van Nimwegen said. 'We have put a lot of energy into stopping fights. ... If we had done nothing, there could have been a lot of fighting.' Referee Clement Turpin speaks with a UEFA official on the touchline amid concerns for the players' safety . The controversial dismissal of Feyenoord's Mitchell Te Vrede in the second half sparked crowd unrest . PSV head coach Fred Tutten leaves the pitch after referee halted the game in the second half . Feyenoord's (L) and Roma's players leave the pitch after the match was interrupted for second time . Former Arsenal forward Gervinho scored the winner as Roma secured a 3-2 aggregate victory . Police were bent on avoiding a repeat of last week's violence in Rome. Police on horseback led hundreds of Roma fans to Feyenoord's stadium for the late evening kickoff. Feyenoord fans rioted in Rome before the round-of-32 first leg, clashing with police, damaging a recently renovated fountain, and leaving part of the city's historic center strewn with beer cans and smashed bottles. The match ended 1-1, setting up a tense return leg. Police estimated about 2,700 Roma fans would travel to Rotterdam for the match at 50,000-seat De Kuip Stadium. A small number of Italian police who know the Roma fans were to be on hand to help their Dutch counterparts identify possible hooligans. Van Nimwegen said 83 Roma fans were denied entry into Amsterdam, and when they arrived in Rotterdam in two buses they were taken to a police station near the stadium and then taken directly to the stadium. Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb drafted an emergency order that police could invoke if hooligans begin rioting, giving police enhanced powers to detain fans and eject them from the city. Roma fans gathered around the city's historic old harbor and were kept segregated from Feyenoord fans. Buses were to transport them to the stadium ahead of the match. Dutch authorities have said they will support private fundraising initiatives aimed at helping to pay for the repair of the 400-year-old Fountain of the Barcaccia that was damaged last week in Rome. Aboutaleb says the hooligans responsible for the damage should ultimately be prosecuted and made to foot the bill.
highly-charged Europa League tie against teams off the pitch amid concerns for the safety of the players in the 55th minute, following the giving them a 3-2 win on aggregate. 'It was right highly-charged second leg of last 32 tie . Turpin the game in the second half . Feyenoord's (L) and forward Gervinho scored the winner as Roma