Beasley scores for Rangers, faces racial chants

American midfielder DaMarcus Beasley scored his first goal for Glasgow Rangers and was taunted by racist fans during a 1-0 victory over FK Zeta on Tuesday night in European Champions League qualifying. 

A small section of fans made "monkey chants" aimed at Beasley and teammate Jean-Claude Darcheville, according to Rangers' Web site.

"It happened to me a few years ago when PSV played Red Star in Belgrade, and I can't believe racist abuse is still in football," Beasley was quoted as saying on Rangers' Web site. "People can come to a match and jeer, but the racist thing just has to get out of football."

The 25-year-old Beasley, who was loaned from PSV Eindhoven to Manchester City last season, joined Rangers in June.

"It sickens to hear these chants, but when you are on the pitch, you have to try to blank it out," Beasley was quoted as saying. "It degrades the game for everyone. I will discuss the situation with Rangers because I feel strongly about it, and we will decide if we should file a complaint."

Beasley, who made his competitive debut for Rangers in a Scottish Premier League game last weekend, scored on a 20-yard shot in the 81st minute. Rangers advanced 3-0 in the home-and-home, total-goals series and plays Red Star Belgrade or Estonia's Levadia Tallinn for a berth in the Champions League.

The Union of European Football Associations could take action against FK Zeta.

"If it did happen, I wasn't aware of it, but the players coped well with the atmosphere," Rangers manager Walter Smith said. "DaMarcus is starting to look a bit brighter, and I am pleased with this progress."