Lets Kick Racism/Spain (delete as appropriate) out of Football

[Doc Sark]

For those of you who don't know what I'm on about.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4019621.stm

It wasn't a million years ago that Black players playing in England had to endure the same kind of monkey chanting that some of the English lads experienced in Spain this week, but thankfully that seems to have been eradicated in the English game. When your club side, or the national side goes to Eastern Europe (no offence to any Eastern Europeans as this could be considered as a generalisation of a region), you expect the black players to be racially abused because it happens but when the England team go to Spain I was shocked that the fans of the best football league in the world were so condescending and abusive to English Black players. Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole endured constant monkey chanting.

It is an irony as Black players make the football world go round. Thierry Henry, Pele, Garrincha, Barnes, Campbell, Anderson etc etc etc. The Spanish league would be as dull as dishwater without the black players like Eto'o and Ronaldihno.

So realistically can a nation whose minority racist factions are allowed in to major sporting events to abuse Black players be a worthy candidate for the 2012 Olympics? Hell no. I just hope UEFA don't <img src=http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/lovesmile.gif><img src=http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/lovesmile.gif><img src=http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/lovesmile.gif><img src=http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/lovesmile.gif><img src=http://forums.eyesonff.com/images/smilies/lovesmile.gif> out of taking action against the Spanish as they are always so quick to with England.

[Cz]

It was an absolutely shocking situation, that really shouldn't occur in this day and age. The behaviour of the Spanish fans was disrespectful, small-minded and completely uncalled for, which overshadowed their team's excellent performance. What's more, Spain has a rather diverse population, and I'm sure that the black community would be upset (and perhaps somewhat frightened) by the actions of their fellow countrymen.

As you correctly pointed out, the situation is hugely ironic. The likelihood is that those same racists will sit in the same seats tomorrow, cheering on Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo as they lead Real Madrid against Barcelona. The fact that people can be so downright ignorant in a country such as Spain is terrible.

Fortunately steps are being taken to combat racism in football, with great success. It is somewhat comforting to know that an incident such as that in Spain is a rare occurence, whereas thirty years ago it wouldn't have even made the news. As the magnificent talents of players from all corners of the globe are accepted from country to country, racism seems to become less of an issue. Dynamo Kiev's fans aimed racist comments at black players in recent years, but since the arrival of their own foreign talents such as Diogo Rincon this has no longer become an issue. Racist chanting in England is now an extremely rare occurence (I think I've only heard a single isolated comment in all the matches I've attended this season) and as La Liga becomes multi-ethnic I'm sure the same will happen there. It is doubtful that Spain's supporters would have resorted to such crude chants had they had a black player in the squad, and as this changes I'm sure that the attitudes will as well.

That being said, Wednesday's game was a terrible display of football, both on and off the pitch. I truly hope that this event damages Spain's hopes for the Olympic Games, as it seems a fitting punishment to deny them that honour in these dreadful circumstances.

[tomamar04]

It's disgracefull, all the racist chanting.
If it was the England fans being racist, Uefa and Fifa would kick England out of international football, for a long time.

But what goes around comes around (hopefully)
I can't imagine The Olympic board choosing Madrid now.

And if I was Shaun Wright-Phillips or Ashley Cole I would have walked straight off the pitch.

Disgracefull