posted by Sam Richards
This video about the prevalence of racism in the world of European soccer should get some conversation going. In comparison to the racism that exists here in the United States, the actions by these sports fans is extreme and vile — like stuff we’d have witnessed here a hundred years ago. And if these sorts of shenanigans happened in our professional sports stadiums, all manner of actions would be taken to stop them. But on that “enlightened” continent of Europe, for one reason or another they continue and are, to be sure, rather common place in many stadiums. (That said, I am certain that most fans do not support the barbarians clamoring at the turnstyles.)
As you watch the video, keep in mind a couple of things. First, while the video depicts events that are four years old, very little (if anything at all) has changed. European football organizations have taken the initiative to put a stop to the actions of fans, but they’ve not made much headway. Second, this is less about race and more about culture and the perceived threats related to immigration and the growing numbers of “dark skinned” peoples from southern countries, especially those of sub-Sarahan Africa. Europe is in the middle of an unprecedented cultural transformation stemming from widening immigration flows and (white) people are afraid they’re losing their hold on their cultures. This does not excuse their actions and thinking, but it should clarify it a bit and it must be considered in order to understand the causes and consequences of the behavior.
The video is very unnerving, to say the least, but I’m sure it will lead you to pause and reflect on just how far we have come in dealing with our own racism.
Another surprising factor was the crucial contrast in American play and European play. Americans do their fair share of trash talking, but I'd like to think it is in better spirits. I'm sure it is out there, but for the most part American trash talking and jeering is just because they player is from another team. It can even be directed personally, like telling a player they suck, but its never they suck because of their skin tone. This is probably because there are so many more black Americans than there are black Europeans.
It also strikes me as hypocritical for these remote European fans to have so much hatred. They refer to soccer as "the beautiful game" but their racist acts and what they are doing makes the sport less beautiful and less about the game itself. I would think that some of these amazing black players should gain the respect of the fans. They are the top players in the world and talented at their craft. They are making the game more exciting and enjoyable to watch something diehard fans should be appreciative of, not resent.
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My initial response to this video was, oh my gosh. I couldn’t believe how ignorant the people in these Spanish countries were. You have some who is part of the team, helping lead their team to victory, but so happens to be black, antagonized, while trying to play soccer. This video actually hurt my feelings, just the thought that people are still seeing color when color is merely a pigment of the skin. It doesn’t define who you are as a person or what you are capable of. When I saw this video I was honestly heartbroken, to think that just because my skin, in today’s age I would also be called names and antagonized if I were to play on that team. Just watching the people in the stands with there signs that would say some of the most cruel and degrading things you can say to a person, no matter their skin color. And then for the commentator to say that the crowd will yell these profanities throughout the game and as I heard this, I tried to picture myself as one of the soccer players. If I were one of these men that has to go through this on a regular basis, and most of them the only black person on their team, I would lose my mind. I know just watching this I was saddened and angry, but if I really had to go through it, I was wouldn’t even know how to do it. And for the players that go through this on a regular basis, I commend them and tip my hat off to them because I don’t think that I would be strong enough to deal with it.
When I looked at the video I sat and reflected on my life and how it is now, and I couldn’t imagine not having the friends that I have if they were like these peoples in these countries. I think that even though we have come a long way from what it was in the past, it just reminded me that things haven’t 100% changed but we have still come a long way. It makes me think that if we were what, 50 years ago in America I couldn’t have the friends that I do have, which about 95% of my friends are outside of my race and pretty much all of my closest friends are out of my race, that I wouldn’t have been able to hang out with them, without it being a major problem. With that said, this video makes me think that maybe if I lived in the country where these soccer players live, that I wouldn’t be able to have the privilege of people friends with the people that I am friends with now and that really saddens me, almost to the point of tears.
Although the FIFA people have taken steps to try to end the racism that goes on while the soccer games go on, which is a start, it still doesn’t change the way those people will feel and I think that is what is worse. For people to ridicule people and make fun of them, just on there skin is something that makes a person disgusting to me. I am completely against racism and the thought that someone is racism bothers me internally and externally, but I hope that in the future there will be no racism and everyone will be accepted for who they are, but realistically to end all racism will take probably forever and just knowing that hit’s a bad spot on me. But for now at least the FIFA people are trying to do what they can to at least lower the public display of racism at the soccer games, which is a start, as well as the commercial ads one of the black players and some of his teammates participate in.My initial response to this video was, oh my gosh. I couldn’t believe how ignorant the people in these Spanish countries were. You have some who is part of the team, helping lead their team to victory, but so happens to be black, antagonized, while trying to play soccer. This video actually hurt my feelings, just the thought that people are still seeing color when color is merely a pigment of the skin. It doesn’t define who you are as a person or what you are capable of. When I saw this video I was honestly heartbroken, to think that just because my skin, in today’s age I would also be called names and antagonized if I were to play on that team. Just watching the people in the stands with there signs that would say some of the most cruel and degrading things you can say to a person, no matter their skin color. And then for the commentator to say that the crowd will yell these profanities throughout the game and as I heard this, I tried to picture myself as one of the soccer players. If I were one of these men that has to go through this on a regular basis, and most of them the only black person on their team, I would lose my mind. I know just watching this I was saddened and angry, but if I really had to go through it, I was wouldn’t even know how to do it. And for the players that go through this on a regular basis, I commend them and tip my hat off to them because I don’t think that I would be strong enough to deal with it.
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I have always believed that we learn from our mistakes, but apparently this is not the case. This event is just another example of how history repeats itself indefinitely. I was very appalled with the first minute of the video. For fans to throw bananas at the goalie because he is a different color is disrespectful. It is also disrespectful because they are calling this innocent man an animal and he is clearly a human just like every single one of us. How do people think that this is acceptable to do at almost every single soccer game? People need to grow up and realize that every one is equal no matter their color or race. How do you think these players feel every time they are on the field and are just getting taunted and humiliated? They are some of the best players in the world and soccer fans should be honoring them for their achievements and their loyalty to their teams instead of completely harassing them for things they cannot control. For the players to do as well as they are with the additional pressure and stress, is just to show how dedicated they are to their team and to the sport. I completely understand why some of the players want to react to the fans. It has to be one of the hardest things to be playing a sport you love but have people yelling at you and harassing you the whole time. It is not the player’s responsibilities to have to fight the issues of racism and discrimination caused by the fans.
The fact that the players made a campaign in order to bring about awareness of this serious issues just shows how much it is affecting the game of soccer. I hope that the campaign will indeed help out the players because you can see how it affects all of them individually. They are a team, a family, and they don’t want anything to bring them apart. The one thing that disgusts me is that I honestly cannot believe that any of the countries have not done anything to fix this problem. The fans are completely outrageous and cause ruckus and riots at almost every single game. I really hope the proposed goals of FIFA will help the game of soccer. The only thing that bothers me is that the new goals of FIFA only affect the players, teams, coaches, and referees. It should be for the fans who are the ones causing the problems. Hopefully people will realize that their actions are going to affect their teams. The FIFA proposition is a start but the fans are the ones that need to be regulated. Overall, I hope this issue can be fixed because I would hate to see people give up something they love because of outside influences.
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Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others. Those behaviors I just witnessed is in this video defined what religion is. This has more to do with skin color than culture. Those fans just don’t like black people. I mean, football is worldwide sport, it supposed to bring all the races, the cultures together on one field. W the black players are being insulted. The greatest soccer player of all time is a black men, people got to get over this racism thing.
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I have come across many close-minded people and have seen the damages (both physical and psychological) of hate crimes with my own eyes in America. I seriously doubted that we had come a very far way since the Civil Rights movement. After watching this video, I have changed my mind. Soccer is pretty much a divine sport in Europe, and you would think that the best players would be worshipped and highly respected. I was appalled to see that the players at the top of their leagues were spit at, called monkeys, and the victims of very public and hateful racism. While diehard soccer fans are pretty much the definition of barbarianism, I can’t assume that they represent their continent as a whole, but FIFA's severe lack of initiative and consequences still goes to show how far Europe has yet to go. If soccer fans want to break a person who is the at the top of their favorite sport just because of where they come from and the color of their skin, then clearly they are just pathetic excuses for enthusiasts of the game.
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After watching this video I felt a deep sadness that such actions still exist, and even more so that they exist almost unpunished. As an English exchange student I have witnessed a significant decrease in racist remarks/jokes since I have arrived in America. However, with regards to the racism in European football, I feel that I should add how, in the English Premier League, racism is almost non-existent, in comparison to continental European football matches. There are extremely harsh punishments for any form of racism from the fans, players, and coaches alike. I am confident that black players are revered and idolized to the same extent as their white team mates. As stated in the video, I would agree that the level of racism in respective European countries is a reflection of their political systems, and the state of society. For instance, Italy, perhaps the most racist with regards to its football players, still has an influential far-right party that gains a worryingly high proportion of votes, whereas in England, where little or no racism exists in the terraces or on the pitch, the only far-right party gains less than 1% of the vote. I mention this because, although undoubtedly provisions must be taken to improve racism surrounding European soccer, preventing racism in soccer is not feasible within a discriminatory society and culture. For the fans, the terraces provide an anonymous median to vent their severely misguided opinions, in order to prevent this, a much larger task is at hand. Racism in football reflects racism in society, so to actually 'kick racism out of football', a complete overhauling of societal and cultural values needs to take place.
Despite this, I agree that more must be done to ensure the protagonists are punished. To allow fans, players and coaches to get away with such disgraceful behavior is outrageous. When I heard the news that Luis Aragones was to keep his job following his racist tirade towards Thierry Henry I felt disgusted. This sets the tone and until acts such as this are punished with lifetime bans, for example, then people will see such behavior as acceptable. The numerous campaigns that exist to fight racism in football have worked in some countries, but in the multi-billion dollar Spanish and Italian leagues only minimal inroads have been made. In 2004 I watches two of the best English players face a barrage of monkey chants, whilst playing the Spanish national team, in Spain. All the more worrying was that it was more than a minority joining in. As saddened as I was by this, I hoped that it would bring the issue to the attention of the worlds media, hopefully prompting some severe sanctions. However, in this instance the Spanish Football Federation were fined $87 000, and faced no further sanctions. Furthermore, when the fixture came around again in 2009, instead of facing the issue head on, the game was simply moved to new location, in order to avoid the hardcores, this demonstrates how nothing concrete has been done to prevent these fans from attending games. Europeans love football more than life itself, if the sports governing bodies followed the English Premier League in permanently banning any offenders, the abuse would stop. Yet, as I mentioned earlier more need to be done away from football, on the streets, and in the courts to improve the depressing state of European values.
Although the situation is significantly different here in the United States, perhaps a glance across the Atlantic might do some good for the antiquated governing bodies in European football.
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I was not aware of the racism that occurs during soccer games in Europe and I found it appalling. The fact that fans taunt and ridicule their own team’s players for being a minority is truly shocking. I have never been to Europe, nor do I know anyone personally who is from the continent. I almost never watch soccer and I’m overall unfamiliar with the culture of the sport. However, I do know European soccer fans are passionate about their soccer clubs and there is a great deal of pride in their team’s success. Therefore, I find it shocking to see such behavior from fans when it’s sometimes players from their own team that they’re taunting.
Fans in the U.S. are also very passionate about their teams. However, at least in the public eye, the sports arena is one place where racism appears non existent. Many of the best American athletes are black. They’re idolized by people of all races and fans support them rabidly regardless of skin color. Racist organizations in the U.S. usually blame minorities for all of society’s problems, but sports are never mentioned.
The racism in Europe isn’t all that different than what occurs in the U.S. Sporting events are a different outlet for racists to bash minorities. That’s something we’re not used to in the U.S. but I wouldn’t say Europeans are necessarily more racist than a lot of Americans. We’re not used to seeing black athletes taunted because they’re too important to most sports fans to distract during a game. It’s odd for us to see fans scream obscenities at soccer players and hold up signs proclaiming their hate for people because it’s a televised event. KKK rallies aren’t on primetime television with tens of thousands of fans in attendance. That doesn’t mean the KKK doesn’t exist and doesn’t still display their bigotry. Racism is probably just as prevalent in the U.S., it’s just that we don’t see it occur because it’s not during nationally televised sporting events.
I do think that FIFA should have taken a more active role in suppressing what happens at soccer games. The displays of hatred are blatant and hurtful, driving some players to pick up a soccer ball in the middle of a game and threaten to walk off the field. FIFA should have seen this as a more serious issue and tried to shut it down sooner. Signs should be confiscated and fans should be kicked out if they throw things on the field. At an American sporting event there is a pretty low tolerance for fans acting too out of line. Spectators are kicked out of stadiums for throwing things on the field in the U.S. and I hope the players that threw bananas were thrown out of the stadium for doing that. Racism exists in both the U.S. in Europe, however in Europe it’s more publicized creating more of an outrage.
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First off these actions are disgusting and almost to a point of being unbelievable. I am not saying that I am so naive that I didn’t know that there was still racism in the world but it is hard to believe that this much of a display of pure hatred is tolerated I can understand one or two jack asses spouting off but the large crowds that are showing these displays of nothing more than ignorance is quite disturbing. I do know people in the United States that I would consider racist but none of them are any ware near this extreme and no racism isn’t right even at less of an extreme but I do feel that no matter how much people want to deny it deep down there is some amount of prejudice in all of us. Most of the time it isn’t spoken or acted upon but it is still there. It might be something as simple as feeling uncomfortable around someone that looks different than you not just with a different skin color but even someone that dresses different, people of a different religion, or socioeconomic group. I don’t feel that there is much of anything that can ever be done to change this in regards to regulations or laws it will take a complete change in the vast majority of society to make any real difference in what is acceptable and what is not . I do however feel that regulations in some sense can influence change in a society to some extent. If the regulations talked about in the video are enforced and players and coaches are held responsible for their actions there could be a change. The players and coaches are role models and if they show the younger population that racism is wrong through their actions it could cause more of a change in the thinking of the population. If Paolo Di Canio or players like him seeing as he no longer plays are allowed to continue with these displays it is just showing the younger population that racism is ok and socially acceptable. As far as the fans it was talked about fining the team if their fans are out of line but as stated in the video that would never work because fans could chant against their own team to get the other fined or penalized. I feel that the fans should be dealt with individually. Most riots start with a single act if others see that one act not being dealt with they are more likely to perform their own acts. But if that first individual or small group is dealt with and removed from the situation the likelihood of others following them is greatly reduced.
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Honestly, I feel bad for the soccer players who are getting so seriously abused by fans. As the one soccer player, Zoro, stated, “the fans’ voices were in [his] head”. I feel like it would be incredibly hard to ignore the racist, demeaning comments from fans. Some professional players are so wrapped up in the game they are playing that they can simply act as though there is no one taunting them, but I feel like that would be very hard to do. Personally, I think it’s horrible that people feel the need to insult players to get in their heads, but I guess that’s just the way it is – it’s soccer in Europe.
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My initial response to this video was, oh my gosh. I couldn’t believe how ignorant the people in these European countries were. You have some who is part of the team, helping lead their team to victory, but so happens to be black, antagonized, while trying to play soccer. This video actually hurt my feelings, just the thought that people are still seeing color when color is merely a pigment of the skin. It doesn’t define who you are as a person or what you are capable of. When I saw this video I was honestly heartbroken, to think that just because my skin, in today’s age I would also be called names and antagonized if I were to play on that team. Just watching the people in the stands with there signs that would say some of the most cruel and degrading things you can say to a person, no matter their skin color. And then for the commentator to say that the crowd will yell these profanities throughout the game and as I heard this, I tried to picture myself as one of the soccer players. If I were one of these men that has to go through this on a regular basis, and most of them the only black person on their team, I would lose my mind. I know just watching this I was saddened and angry, but if I really had to go through it, I was wouldn’t even know how to do it. And for the players that go through this on a regular basis, I commend them and tip my hat off to them because I don’t think that I would be strong enough to deal with it.
When I looked at the video I sat and reflected on my life and how it is now, and I couldn’t imagine not having the friends that I have if they were like these peoples in these countries. I think that even though we have come a long way from what it was in the past, it just reminded me that things haven’t 100% changed but we have still come a long way. It makes me think that if we were what, 50 years ago in America I couldn’t have the friends that I do have, which about 95% of my friends are outside of my race and pretty much all of my closest friends are out of my race, that I wouldn’t have been able to hang out with them, without it being a major problem. With that said, this video makes me think that maybe if I lived in the country where these soccer players live, that I wouldn’t be able to have the privilege of people friends with the people that I am friends with now and that really saddens me, almost to the point of tears.
Although the FIFA people have taken steps to try to end the racism that goes on while the soccer games go on, which is a start, it still doesn’t change the way those people will feel and I think that is what is worse. For people to ridicule people and make fun of them, just on there skin is something that makes a person disgusting to me. I am completely against racism and the thought that someone is racism bothers me internally and externally, but I hope that in the future there will be no racism and everyone will be accepted for who they are, but realistically to end all racism will take probably forever and just knowing that hit’s a bad spot on me. But for now at least the FIFA people are trying to do what they can to at least lower the public display of racism at the soccer games, which is a start, as well as the commercial ads done by players pleading for the racism and abuse to end. Hopefully the racism in Europe and everywhere racism still occurs will end.
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Disgusting. I can’t comprehend the logic behind racism. Ever. And saying these remarks against someone on the team you’re such a big “fan” of? Where is the logic behind that? This clearly means that these racist fans only support their team because of the players’ skin color; the game isn’t about football. In fact it’s a game of color and those who are different than you deserve to lose and be belittled. I feel the need to ask this fair-skinned fan if they know this football player could easily kick their ass.
I just read a thesis by an honors student for another class that brought to light all these issues of racism against blacks at Penn State University. It was incredibly enlightening and just like these events in Europe, proves that racism still exists. Here at Penn State, the university that prides itself in being diverse and multicultural, black students in the year 2000 received hate mail. In 2000! That’s about 50 years after the major black movement headed by Martin Luther King Jr.
Unfortunately I think racism will always exist. People are always going to have the desire to put themselves on a pedestal and make others feel inferior based on some arbitrary characteristic, like skin color. Probably people should take more biology classes to be educated on the science behind different skin tones, and that it has nothing to do with intelligence/status and everything to do with pigments in the skin. Perhaps education would change the mind of the racists out there in the world.
It’s also important to realize that racism is not only against blacks but exists in all countries for no particular reason. Mexicans, Chinese, Pakistanis, and Albanians (to name a few) all experience acts of racism in present times. This summer I studied abroad in Florence for six weeks and ended up getting to know some people from Kossovo, who have lived and worked in Florence for six years, fairly well. One night my friend and I hopped on the public transit system without a ticket (I of course was oblivious to the fact that we needed a ticket), and a police officer happened to come onto the bus to check tickets. Due to the fact that we didn’t have any tickets, he told us to follow him and get off the bus. Normal procedure would have been for the police officer to write us a fine and send us on our way, however my friend was from Kossovo so the rules changed. The officer demanded that my friend show his passport because his card proving his Italian residency wasn’t enough. After much convincing from my friend, we were able to walk away with a fine, but it took some effort. The policeman gave my friend special treatment because he was an immigrant from Kossovo.
I sincerely hope one day we’ll all learn to not look at skin to determine a person’s character.
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Seeing these actions, and knowing that the attempts to stop them are not doing very much, if any good, is quite unnerving. It is amazing to think that the color of someone's skin can make people hate an individual so much. Because these people are so set on their ways and they are already very rowdy and ready to fight members of the opposite team, and opposing team's fans, it makes it even scarier for that these actions take place. Any catalyst could set off these angry fans and ultimately lead to a fight that could cause multiple deaths.
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This article really opened my eyes and it really made me evaluate racism in a completely new light. When I think of racism I immediately think of the United States past issues relating to it but after watching that video it is apparent that it is a huge problem in other developed nations currently. The biggest problem I have with this issue is the lack of a response to these blatant forms of racism targeted at players. It almost seems like the public does not care and they just turn the other way. If these acts ever happened here in America the outcry from the general public would be enormous to the point that it would be handled immediately. However, it seems that this is just a common occurrence in Europe and it just passes as part of a soccer event and nothing needs to be done.
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I have never been a big follower of soccer so I had very little knowledge of the atmosphere of soccer games– other than that people go crazy during games and they can turn into very hostile events. I had no idea that racism was such a huge problem. My perception of “the beautiful game” prior to this video was that soccer was a way to bring countries and different ethnicities together. I viewed it as sort of a universal game in the same way I view music as a unifying theme. This video really changed my view of world games. I am appalled to see that people are still treated like animals because of the color of their skin, or any other minor differences. I really can’t believe that players were being taunted by their own fans! It reflects so poorly on all of the fans.
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Wow! I was truly mesmerized by this video even for a good ten minutes after watching it. It baffles me as to how European coaches, fans, etc. can be so racist towards their own players. It’s not even like they were only hating on the other team’s players; they were harsh towards their OWN players, too! And although this video caused me to freak out, I consider myself “white,” so I can only imagine how “black” cultures would react to this video. These players have overcome so many racial and cultural struggles among other things to be playing professional soccer. The bottom line is that we need to respect this fact. There are plenty of us white people, even in Europe, who have far less prominent careers, so what or who gives the right to be able to make comments like these? These culturally diverse soccer players need to be appreciated for the talent and fame that they deserve. If people really have a problem with the ethnic variety on the field, then why pay money to go to the game in the first place? Seriously, just stay home and do something “more worthwhile” with your time.
I’m really glad Sam posted this video because I’m really interested in professional sports and their fan bases. Whenever I’m watching a game, whether it’s in person or on television, I always like to look at the signs/posters that fill the stands. Granted I’ve never watched a pro soccer game or been to Europe for that matter, the posters I’ve seen in America can even get on my nerves sometimes. These usually aren’t racial comments either but nevertheless, they still have the ability to taunt the players and have a negative impact on how they play the game. What I am getting is that our world needs to discover the meaning of the word “equality.” We need to respect these athletes for who they are and what they are contributing to the world of entertainment. I know if I was one of these players and a fan made one of these comments towards me, I would be fuming. To put so much effort into something and to be shut down like that can really kill one’s self-esteem. I’m not just talking about athletes. Every human being across all nations needs to be valued for who they are, whether they are black, white, Hispanic, Native American, etc.
After watching this video, it is my hope that people will start to put themselves in other people’s shoes and refrain from saying or doing something that they wouldn’t want said or done to them. I think if punishments are enforced for these types of actions, it will certainly help the matter, but I think overcoming racism altogether is an insurmountable mountain to climb. That is unfortunate, but the least we can do is hope.
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Whoever said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me”, had no idea what it feels like to be slammed with derogatory and racist slurs by a crowd of thousands of their alleged “fans.” Watching this video about all the racism towards European soccer made me feel sick to my stomach. I am in utter shock that there are people in the world today that can still act in such a way and make such cruel comments as if it were nothing.
Seeing all this hate really negatively affected me. Within the first three minutes of the video, I almost stopped watching it because it was so disturbing to me. Quickly, I realized that if I were to just stop watching the news video, I would be turning my back on society, and I learned that I really do need to become aware of this reality that there are people like this out there. When I say people like “this” I’m referring to the people that have to ruin things for everyone else. The people that always feel the need to create problems in society and in a larger sense, the world. The soccer league, FIFA, has made a rule that if there are racial slurs about any of the players exchanged by any other players, or coaches, then the guilty team will be deducted 3 points (enough to determine a loss for the team). What FIFA isn’t recognizing is that the biggest problem isn’t the players or coaches- it is the fans.
I really think that the saddest part about seeing these soccer players being slammed with all these awful and disheartening words and comments is that almost everything said, was coming from their fans in the stands. Now I know I have my own definition of what a “fan” is, but I decided to look up the word in the dictionary to see what it said. The dictionary said that the definition of fan is an “enthusiastic admirer.” Now, if I recall in the video, the people that called themselves fans rooting for their home team, were actually anything BUT “enthusiastic admirers.” A fan in my eyes is someone that is supportive of their team; someone that wants their team to do their best.; someone that encourages the team they are rooting for. Soccer in Europe is one of the most popular sports in the world. I really think that FIFA needs to step in and start punishing the fans for their actions, including the players and coaches. I don’t see how watching a soccer game could even be enjoyable with all these negative spectators surrounding you. In our culture, soccer games are a recreational activity. In the European society, I feel like soccer games are the brink of World War III.
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Being born and raised in Europe, as well as, being one of soccer fans myself I cannot quite explain why Europeans posses such racist views but they do. As sad as it is, the video posted by Sam portrays most of the ideologies of soccer fans; however, in the real world Europeans are pretty accepting of other races especially in countries like Great Britain, France etc. However, when it comes to soccer world, there is a huge race issue. Unfortunately, until 2000 I was probably one of those people who you would consider a racist. Now, if I would still be living in Europe today I would not even think twice that I was racist back in the day, simply because I would not know better. Here is my story: continue in reply….
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UkieKru Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
(continue… last part ) Moreover, they are not racist nor do they possess hatred toward an actual person of a different race but more to the fact that they have never been exposed to those “different” people. For example, if something is knew to you, you would naturally either ignore it/ refuse to accept changes or proceed with caution. The same has happened in Europe. Europeans were used to see only White people on their teams and now with better athletes from Africa, Asia and South America, European teams recruit those better athletes to join their teams, but the fans at home are not that accepting. Most Europeans are soccer fanatics who consider their favorite team as their extended family. Any changes within the team cause tons of controversies and riots. Therefore, if Europe education exposes new generation a little bit more they would be more accepting to people of other race. Just to recap what I just said- the issue in here is not the race itself but the mere fact of difference and not being exposed to different types of people. I hope that one day the people will realize how pathetic they once were and start being civil but until then we just have to be open-minded and educate everyone to be more open-minded.
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I came to United States when I was thirteen years old. May 1st, 2000, was my first time ever seeing a person of a different race. Getting off the plane in JFK, New York and see a family from Africa was a shock to say the least. I mean at age thirteen, one might consider themselves a young man/ woman and we feel like our ideologies, family practices etc are all set in and we do not change our views or opinions. Well, wrong!!!! As I said before, I saw a family from Africa for the first time when I was thirteen. That said, before that encounter I never seen any person of a darker skin texture than my own. The only people that were a little bit darker than me back at home were gypsies and even then, my parents were very protective of me and forbade me to have any personal contact with them simply because of their fortune telling, etc. It was said that if a gypsy woman looks into your eyes you would have bad luck all your life etc. Now, whether it is true or not I do not know but now being exposed to so many different people, I refuse to believe in those propagandas. Gypsies are the people that I am used to call black if you translate from my language. Now, the people that we call Black, African Americans in USA were only read about in the books, if at all. In schools, we were going through material on slavery, Africa, and such but the only connection to Africans we had were the pictures in the books and sometimes a story or two in the magazine about a famous model, runner, basketball player and others mainly from USA. What I am trying to say is that today, there are societies throughout the world that only know their own race, culture, and tradition.
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This video is absolutely disgusting to say the least. In sports, often times remarks are made for the intention of getting under a player's skin in an attempt to throw that player off of his/her game. However, in the US, for the most part this is done "respectfully" and usually not with the issue of race. I had known for a while that European soccer fans were "hooligans" but had no idea about this ugly racism so widespread across much of Europe, not even just one or two countries.
A part of the video I found particularly surprising was sometimes even their own fans yelled at them and also that some of the greatest players in the world were harassed, such as Henri. Refs, coaches, and even other players seem to just let it go with nothing to be said. Clearly something needs to be done, and the actions taken by FIFA before the 2006 World Cup may not have been enough. It didn't surprise me to hear that Europe has never had a Civil Rights movement and that blacks are few and far between in the continent. However, people still need to act with some form of decency whether attending a football game or not. Just because you are cheering at a sport doesn't give you the excuse to treat people with utter disrespect.
As I said, getting under a player's skin is common. But the bananas being thrown, the monkey chants, and "Hail Hitler" hand gestures are simply ridiculous. These people should be ashamed of themselves because if they stepped out of that stadium none of them would have the guts to say something like that to one of those players face-to-face. Those fans make themselves look like cowardly and disgusting.
And I thought that racism was bad in this country.
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I have been following soccer for just about all of my life and I know just how much racism is in the game by the fans. It is sickening that in one of the most recognizable sports in the entire world, there is still racism. Watching this video done by ESPN, shows a quick insight on just how soccer fans act oversees. The fans over there treat soccer as their number one priority in life. They are some of the most classless fans in any sport. This would never be tolerated here in America. Sure student sections go out of their way to find as much info as they can to try to get into a player’s head. That is the goal of fans and what makes the difference in sports with a home field advantage. They will scream and yell, sometimes even make signs so that hopefully they will get their attention. One thing that they would never do is chant racist things to the opposing team and its players. It is looked at as a line that you just don’t cross. Doing this goes way overboard and in my mind, can ruin the joy of a sport. Sports are about having fun and competing. There is no need to bring in racism to the mix. I feel like the USA gets a bad rep and is looked at as a racist country, but when you compare it to the countries oversees, it is no contest. How can the world’s biggest sporting event, the world cup, have this type of behavior by its fans. The world cup is probably the most watched sporting event when it happens every four years. It is watched by people all over the world and brings together people and their countries. I feel like any group of fans that show this type of racism do not belong in the stadium. They are not only embarrassing themselves, but their country as well. I just can’t believe that no matter what we do in this world, racism will never go away. We have came along way in the past 100 years, but no matter how much things change, some things always stay the same. There is no doubt there will be fans in this year’s world cup who use racism as a tool to get into a player or teams head. No matter what we do or say, some people will do whatever it takes to show just how they feel. It is extremely sad that we can’t shake this and weed this out of the world’s most popular sport. This would never happen in the likes of the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. It shouldn’t happen in soccer or for that matter, everything else in the world.
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When i began watching the video, I recalled that I had seen parts of this same piece on ESPN a few years ago, but I'm not a soccer fan at all so I didn't pay much attention to it. After watching the video in its entirety, i felt great remorse for the players who were being racially abused by thousands of fans at the same time. Being racially taunted in front of a small crowd seems bad enough, but for these people to endure such hateful actions must be more humiliating than most people could imagine. Had I been put in these players position, I highly doubt I could conjure up the strength and poise to remain in the stadium, let alone compete at a high level. Seeing how angry the players were actually evoked emotion in mysef, and I too felt angry at the way they were being treated. It seems very shady that soccer officials across the world haven't done more to stop these antics, especially with soccer being the most popular sport in the world. If I were to attend an NFL football games and hold up racist signs or yell things like the european soccer fans, i would undoubtedly be kicked out. Incidents like this do not happen in the United States. Not to say that there isn't racism in the U.S. because there obviously still is, but nothing even close to the magnitude of these european soccer fans.
I reflected upon the fact that these types of actions do not occur in my country, and I'm proud of how far this country has come in treating minorities. It also insures a safeness about this country. I believe it reflects on our standard of living. I get angry when I hear people complaining about the United States and what's wrong with this country. Yes we have problems, but so does every country. It just happens that we have less problems than many other countries. And the problems that we do have are more often than not much less severe.
People in the United States have become so touchy about something as small as word choice. Every word is scrutinized when the person talking most likely did not even put much thought into his words and did not realize that his ambiguous thoughts could be perceived in more way than one. When talking about race, it seems as though people are never willing to give the benefit of the doubt. If your words sound in any way prejudice, then people are going stop everything and render you a racist without even hearing another side of the story. It's at times like these when Americans needs to take a minute and think about all the forms of racism that go on in the world. Undoubtedly there are situations in this world where racism conflicts far exceed the racism problems we face in the United States.
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I remember 4 years ago when this special aired on ESPN. I was lucky enough to see it then and it was just as eye opening when I saw it this time. I could not believe this still existed in the world we live in today. How could players be hassled to the point where they were willing to stop playing the sport they love so much.? Knowing the history of the world and all the terrible things that have happened because of racism, adds to the problem that is occurring in Europe right now. This is a very big problem and the people in charge of soccer need to step in and change something. If nothing is done to stop these fans, than there may be bigger problems in the future.
Soccer is the most watched sport worldwide. Soccer fans around the world are notorious for being very supportive and commonly labeled the ideal “die hard” fans. These fans know every coach, player, trainer, and history of the club. Therefore the fans enjoy yelling and tormenting opposing players to the point of exhaustion. This goes hand in hand with the fans who yell racial slurs and harass the colored players on the field. This is where certain fans cross the line. We live in the 21st Century and we should learn from the mistakes of past generations and realize the color of your skin does not effect what kind of person you are.
In response to the comment Sam made about these acts being related to culture and not race, I agree. Not only do I believe this is becoming a problem because of the number of immigrants moving to Europe, I think it involves the amount of success dark skinned players are having in professional soccer leagues. Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, Thierry Henry, and Michael Essien are all black players that are considered some of the best players in the world. These players have sent a rippled effect to African children who idolize and hope to one day become as great at playing soccer as them. The amount of African players in soccer is very high and I believe white fans do not like this. They want the sport to stay as a minority to black people. By screaming racial slurs and harassing black players they are hoping they will eventually not be able to handle it and quit, as Zoro did in the video. Soccer has a huge problem on their hands. Racism needs to be stopped and the clubs aren’t the ones that should be penalized. If a fan takes part in racist acts, then they need to be ejected from the game immediately. Racism should not be tolerated at all and soccer officials need to act soon!
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When I was about 3 months old my family packed up and moved to England, a place where I lived for a few years after. All in all I remember my time there quite fondly, however looking back on some of the things I witnessed while living there, its easy to see that there are quite a few problems with society across the Pond.
Something I’ve always heard is how much more tolerant and progressive Europe is than the United States. And to an extent this is certainly true, the gay community, for instance, faces far less prejudice in the EU than they might in the US, in fact most EU members allow for some kind of civil union or recognized partnerships, five even offer full marital rights. However when it comes to race they’re as backwards as we can be. The one reason that this is not often realized is because, apparently, anti-Semitism isn’t considered racism. In the time that I lived in England I remember hearing on at least two occasions of a nearby Jewish cemetery having been desecrated. I also remember the casual use of Jewish derogatory terms where I lived. However this does not compare to what Jewish citizens face in France, where over half of the racist acts committed are directed toward them. This is not to say of course that Europe is building towards a second Holocaust by any means, but it is surprising that countries that were so close to the horror of the Nazi genocide would fall into that backward way of thinking. Of course there is another group which is also under fire these days, the Muslim community. Especially in England we can see a growing public concern over the spread of Islam, this concern has given rise to hate based acts of violence and harassment. The rationale behind this hate I find to be quite interesting, mainly because it sounds so familiar. Many in Europe fear that they’re cultural identity is about to be absorbed by this new Islamic population, that soon their country will forever be changed. If you think you’ve heard that before, it’s because you have. Very similar fears of sweeping cultural change have often been the source of attacks directed towards Hispanic immigrants. Time and time again we’ve been told how the steady flow of immigration will eventually overwhelm us and before we know it the country we loved will be gone. With this in mind it’s hard to point fingers at Europe in condemnation. Rather this is all a sad reflection on western society as a whole. The xenophobia exhibited by some just never ceases to amaze me, what exactly is there to fear from a change in culture? What’s more, something I think many people overlook, is that it works both ways. Even while these new immigrants are bringing and spreading their culture, they too are being affected by ours,
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Wow this is actually surprising to me because I had no idea racism in Europe exists in this way. But then again everytime I think of Europe i only think of England and France and their perception on race is a bit different. Racism does still exist all over the world even if people don't want to believe that it does. It's really sad when you think about it because it's like we've come so far to still be kind of at square one. What is it going to take for change to occur? Racism will never be erased because people raise their kids this way with this hatred that runs more than skin deep.
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(pt.2)I agree with what Dr. Richards said that the white culture feels threatened because when you really think about it why are people racist? Why do people have so much hate in their hearts for someone that they don't know? And it's because they're scared. They're scared that blacks are taking something away from them and will one day lessen the dominant group. It's really ridiculous though. I'd rather dislike a person for what they have done to me personally, not an entire race. People are idiots they really are. And yes America has come so far but we still have a long way to go. Yes, our President is bi-racial but he still faces many challenges that a white President would not face and that is very much the truth. Racism will never go away for the simple fact that people are idiots, and for the simple fact that it makes people feel better when they have someone to hate. Its very sickening to see how far people will go with their hatred.
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(pt.3) The only way that the racism at the games can stop is if the government enables certain rules and restrictions, but of course racism can't be banned in the country because that would mean that their wouldn't be any freedom of speech. But by having certain restrictions at games it will definitely help as far as the game goes. I f eel sorry for the athletes who have to play through that. Imagine how they must feel every time they walk onto the field. I couldn't imagine what it might feel like, and I feel a certain way when someone gives me a judgementative look because of my race.
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(pt.4) I really don't know what else can be said about this topic because it's very disturbing and also sad at the same time. Again, I thought that America was the most racist country but again I was proven wrong. At least in America someone could never get away with things like that so at least most people that are racist can't be as openly racist as they'd like to because there are penalties and I am glad that is the case. I just wish there was more that can be done. I wish someone would interview these people and ask them honestly 'Why are you a racist?". Is there even an intelligent answer that can be said?
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This whole situation is so frustrating. It is senseless ridiculous. The whole matter proves difficult to wrap ones head around. I mean I sit here thinking about racism, I imagine a time when I was really angry at someone. I take the time to remember how in high school my friends and I would tell black jokes in study hall.
My high school had very little diversity. I graduated with a class of about 90 students. Throughout my entire high school there were only two students who had darker skin. Both of those individuals were impaired in some way. Adding to this infection of racism in my home town included a very economically poor urban area with a majority of black residents. We saw their poverty; we saw their differences but not our own, we felt comfort in our feelings of supremacy and high standards of living. Of course we were better.
For me the problem is no communication. No understanding. Around the world the problem is a lack of communication and keeping an open mind. It can be a difficult thing to stop a violent cycle of retribution. One person commits a transgression of hubris, which is then retaliated. This has always been an aspect of humanity. For example, this theme of hubris is a driving force behind the plot of the ancient Greek story of Sophocles. That violent cycle is projected onto others of a similar race, and we all have realized the folly of that from the past few soc 119 classes.
Every single individual can fall in love with any other individual. It simply takes the time to understand that person. Why they are who they are, what are their hopes and fears. Often time those hopes and fears come out in people in certain environments or mental states. I feel that European governments need to create some environment or mental state in order to open communication between all different demographics of society.
We see how prevalent these viruses of hate are. I mean the fact that there are more slaves around the world today then 100 years ago stands as evidence for this fact. Racism has not died in the US or in Europe, two of the most developed regions in the world. What the hell is our problem? We need to stop punishing and rewarding people for racism and other violent prevalent cycles of hate, for this will only spur it on. We need to allow those with differences to love each other. Bring them together and allow for them to bring up their pasts, their futures, and their hopes their fears. There could be no greater service a government could provide then a situation where its people can break down those harmful cycles of violence, and bring us a step closer to a brighter tomorrow.
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I had seen this video when it first aired four years ago. As an avid soccer fan, I had read about the racist and violent soccer-related cases as they unfolded. In class we have been talking about political correctness and how to correctly address the issues of race and ethnicity. With the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, great strides were taken to deal with the issue of race, and now in 2010 it’s obvious that we as a culture have improved on the issue. (Case and point Barack Obama). However, nothing along the lines of a Civil Rights Movement has occurred in Europe largely because there hasn’t many black people in Europe. I studied abroad in Madrid last spring and I will be the first to say that most European cultures are predominately white. There were several black students in my program and I often heard them telling jokes about standing out in crowds and things of that nature. Sure they were able to laugh about it, because they didn’t have to deal with people taunting them. Europeans, who place such a high emphasis on culture, view soccer as life. Most European soccer stadiums have barbed-wire fences surrounding the field and one in Rio De Janeiro has a moat to keep fans off the field. Everyone in Europe likes, follows and plays soccer. And as with any competition, taunting and heckling the opposing fans and players is part of the game. In the US, most of the time there is one unruly fan or group that may get out of hand, in which case they are escorted from the stadium. But everyone at European soccer games gets behind their team, how can you kick out an entire stadium of fans? I think there has to be some sort of civil rights movement in Europe, much in the same as the United States, in order to start creating social borders on what type of words and behavior is acceptable, especially in a public forum. Until then, I think FIFA is stuck between a rock and a hard place because the racism is something rooted in society. More often than not, the black players aren’t even European. They are from South America or Africa, but play on European soccer teams. Samuel Eto’o is from Cameroon, but played in Barcelona (Now plays for Inter Milan in Italy) because that is one of the top soccer clubs in the world. It doesn’t make any sense why a Barcelona fan would heckle its own players anyway, white or black. This video is still relevant today because this summer is the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, a nation itself that has been through the apartheid and dealt with race issues. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, things have changed from 2006 until now. On the world’s largest stage, I hope that fans of the world’s most popular game can represent themselves well, for the same of humanity.
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I cannot believe that these kinds of things still happen. I really like soccer, and I try to keep track of European football as much as possible, which is reasonably hard to do, but I never knew anything like this went on in their stadiums. When you look at the players they are taunting it just makes it even more ridiculous. Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o are two of the best players in the world, and even possibly of all time. They are living legends and yet we see that even they are subject to the actions of the ignorant. European soccer fans have an extreme passion for the sport and for their individual teams, a passion so strong that it would make Philadelphia look like Candyland. There are loyal fans and then there are the hooligans, who are almost always the ones who take things too far. I’m sure there are a lot of fans who cannot stand the image hooligans bring to the sport, but unfortunately it is most likely the hooligans who continue to promote these racist ideas at the games.
Now I personally agree with how FIFA has tried to handle the situation. First they gave the responsibility to all the leagues, and now they see that the leagues have not done enough to make the issue go away, so they were going to step in and take control. I did not get a chance to look into how effective FIFA was during the world cup, but I also do not recall any games being abandoned, so I can only hope all went well.
Looking at the comments that Luis Aragones made about Thierry Henry, I honestly cannot tell if he was making a racist comment or if he was simply trying to motivate his players. At first he was simply saying that the French team “just gives it to the black”, and that is why they are good, because they just give it to Henry. It’s after this that he calls him a “black piece of shit”, which when I heard it I thought he was just saying that Henry was a “piece of shit”, and just so happens to also be black, not necessarily saying the two go hand in hand. However, even if he was not saying the two are related, it is still a very poor choice of words. I do think that the actions taken against Aragones are fairly appropriate, if anything a bit light. The fine was rather cheap in terms of what most fines in sports are, and the fact that this happened at a point in time where FIFA is clearly taking action to decrease the amount of racism in the game, I feel that a greater fine or some other kind of heavier punishment would have really sent the message that FIFA wanted to send.
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For as long as i could remember, i have always known soccer to be one of those sports where the fans get away with being pretty brutal. But i have only known soccer to lead to riots, i had no idea that there were fans who were being racist towards their own players. I cannot begin to understand how a fan could go as far as to degrade one of their own players in the ways in which these fans do. I always looked at the way fans act as being a way to try to throw opponents off their game in an attempt to help your team win. But my theory on fan behavior just does not make any sense when i apply it to the video on these soccer fans.
I think it also shows that we really are doing good in removing racism from our society. Granted no one is perfect, we still have many people who think it is a good thing to act like the people in the video. But i do not think that that idea is a good judgment of how many Americans would feel after they watch that report. I think that these European nations really need to act upon these notions of racism. They cannot just sit there and think that by being racist, people of different ethnicity are not going to come into their nations. As much as most people in the world do not like the United States, i think that we look much better than the nations that act in this sort of way. We are much more tolerant to different people than I really realized.
There are many instances where i am around people who act in racist ways but i wonder what my friends would think if they saw how racist people in other parts of the world are. The part that really gets me is how these people can think that it is acceptable to act in such a way. The way that we dealt with our racism is not a secret. I bet most of these nations are aware of how to deal with racism. I just do not understand why it is allowed to happen in such large quantities. I would think that having these games televised would make the fans want to be seen in a good light, not a negative one. I hope that these fans wise up and quit degrading their own players.
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I had no idea this kind of open racism still existed today. I cannot grasp the fact that fans would say such horrible things to players on their team. It accomplishes nothing and they really need to grow up. The fact that it has taken this long for people to start realizing this kind of issue needs to be fixed is sickening. I feel awful for the players who have to deal with this kind of racism and it is awful that even their own coach makes these kinds of remarks. The coach should have been fired and shown that that kind of behavior is completely unacceptable.
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Soccer is still one of the only sports to this day that takes the sport so serious and personal that losing can actually be real dangerous and harmful to the players and who the players represent. I'm not surprised by this video because being a fan of the sport; I have noticed since a long time ago that soccer fans and the culture of soccer can get very racial, especially in Europe. In Europe, just as the video states, racial issues are different. There is no civil rights movement and not even that many people of color in Europe as it is. With soccer being the most popular sport in the world, Europeans take it very seriously. So with that said, I'm not too surprised of how racist they can be when it comes to winning and supporting there team. I'm saying by any means that this behavior is right but it's almost expected because what is the one thing, the one way of insulting someone or getting in someone’s head that pretty much will touch a nerve on anyone world wide – racial issues or religion. They don't have the kind of diversity nor is soccer of that importance to us in the United States anyway so you won't really see that kind of behavior over here. However, over in Europe it almost comes with the territory. This video does in a odd way make me feel good because it does show how long we have come as Americans or I should say "United Statesians" (Yea, I listen in class) racially. The dream is really coming true that all people can live among each other and live there lives equally without segregation or judgment forced upon them. Other people from outside the United States literally hate us for what we stand for and how we go about our ways as a nation but honestly, when you really look at it, I've never been more proud to be from here because it is obvious that people around the world need to open their eyes a little wider to what is really important – and it's not skin color, it's equality.
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This video gave me just a taste of what it might have been in America back in the day and I am horrified. Being black, I could not imagine going through the ridicule and torture that blacks are going through in Europe today and in the past in America. There is a clear sense of white supremacy in Europe and it is sad; they just can’t seem to understand that we are a human race and there is only ONE human race, not white and others, and not white and the “monkeys” as they called blacks. In the video, the people seem to truly believe that they are better than blacks and even go as far as to call them animals. If anything, these people (the people of Europe in the video) are animals and inhuman. I’m pretty sure that a mass majority of Europe, especially Spain, are Roman Catholic, and Roman Catholics believe in loving God and loving their neighbors and as expressed in the bible, if Catholics truly love God who himself is love, then our behavior towards ourselves and others will reflect this commitment. Basically the Roman Catholics are living in a humungous sin. It made me cringe when the coach of the Spanish team said “show that black piece of shit that you are better than he is”.The blacks that play sports in Europe do not deserve the treatment that they get from the whites of Europe. In my opinion, I think that the white people of Europe that discriminate and have hatred for blacks are intimidated. They are intimidated by the fact that people who they consider to be so low, are really good people that contribute to the world in many ways and are great at many things, for example football (soccer in Europe). When it comes to sports, some of the greatest players in the whole entire world are black as shown in the clip: Carlos Kameni, Marc Zoro, and Terion to say the least. Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest if not the greatest basketball player and Tiger Woods is considered the greatest golf player of all time, both of which are black. When people envy another, they usually lash out in hatred; this is what I thought of when I saw the European sport fans badgering the black players. They envy the fact that black players are great, greater in many ways than they will ever be and for that matter, they hate on blacks. I wish that Europe, and other parts of the world that display immense racism would follow in the steps that the blacks of America did and overcome. The blacks overseas need to stick together and fight for what is right; equality, love, and respect. It makes me sad to know that I live in a world where my race is looked and thought of as different and below other races, I’m just glad that I am in America at this point in time and not anywhere else, because it could have been much worse for me and my people, like the blacks in Europe.
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This video is very shocking and intense to think in the world today, that there is racism of this magnitude and volume still going on. I am one, of probably most people, who don't really follow whats going on in different countries, i always just thought most countries followed in the United States footsteps and slowly got better with time. But after watching this clip, i never realized just how far in head of other countries, i always thought the United States was still one of the racist countries. i come from a small town where this is enough racism for the country, and i just always thought if this is just my town, how bad is everywhere else in America. After seeing the clip though, i realized these people are 10 folds worse than the people i know. the people from my home town, just say out loud how they feel but would never dare same something to an ethnic person to their face. But these fans literally show off how they feel and it seems most people are ok with it. I just really think it is a situation where fans starting doing it, then everyone is doing, so that means its cool to be racist. Even if people are as ignorant to do this, its the countries and owners and fifa soccer who are the bigger ass holes for letting this situation of misconduct go on for more than just one game. There needs to be a big movement to stop this and i just don't see that happening with the soccer players commercial. There needs to be bigger steps of stopping the racism and controlling, but even when the government isn't getting involved, nothing is ever going to change. It does as Sam says, really make you think how far this country has come. we might not be perfect, but i know as a American if that kind of abuse was going on in any sport around the country, that it would be stopped within minutes of happening whether it be from police or fans who dont want to put up with it. i understand that Europe is a little farther behind in their culture and they never had a movement like ours, but that is no reason to let this keep happening. i just don't get what there scared of. do they think that black people are just going to come in and start destroying all their homes and killing people? the really bad thing to, is that it is 4 years and not much has gotten better, there needs to be drastic change and fast other wise i don't see these people getting any better. i hope for everyones sake that they can get past it, because that would be one step closer for this ridiculous racism to stop, but from what ive seen its not clear skies from here.
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Watching this video opened my eyes to the severity of racism that is demonstrated in European soccer. Because soccer is the premier sport in Europe, and by far the most popular sport in the world, we see racist groups like these demonstrating their hate at a stage that is bigger than any other. It is very disappointing to see racism demonstrated like this at the most popular sporting even in the world. For Americans, seeing these acts of hate are somewhat unexpected. I for one was under the impression that America was one of the leading countries in demonstrating racism, however, nothing so severe takes place in our sporting events these days.
It would be foolish to say that racism doesn't exist in Europe, but I am surprised to see that it exists on such a stage as the World Cup and has continued to go unaddressed. My thought is that most Americans believe that the severity of racism vanished after the Civil Rights movement. While this may have been the case for the United States, it seems like in Europe, racism may be on the rise. Although we did have the Civil Rights movement take place almost a half century ago, this may be due in part to the fact that so many more minorities were living within our borders. In Europe, many blacks from Africa are beginning to immigrate to Europe, something that Europeans may not be used to. If this is the case, there would be no better place to demonstrate one's opinion on the matter. Seeing such hatred is terrible, especially against a single player, and I believe that something needs to be done to stop it. Doing nothing will only allow things to escalate, and on such a large stage, it illustrates to the entire world how hateful mankind really is. To be honest, these acts are just destroying the worlds most beloved game, and it is unacceptable.
To see that these actions are still tolerated in today's world is something that many of us were previously unaware of. The cruelty that is seen in this video; to cheer against your own team, your own country because of the color of a players skin demonstrates a type of hatred that is very sad to see. FIFA claims that they have taken action against this and that it will not be tolerated, but what good will it do if the fans are not punished? It is extremely surprising for me to see that nothing is being done about it. It shows that the worlds biggest sport is tolerating extreme acts of racism. The fans are the source of the problem, and while actions are not being taken, it only allows the problem to grow. I honestly hope that these problems can be addressed soon, because players who devote their lives to play for their country are being treated inhumanely. No player would want to play for a country who's fans act this way and it should not be tolerated.
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Racism in Europe? Do I care? No. Why is that you ask? Because I don’t live in Europe. If I lived in Europe, MAYBE, I would care. But never enough to do something about it. I really like soccer, its awesome to watch. I would never go to a game though and act racist like the fans they showed in the Sports Center video. This video is exaggerated though because they focused the segment on 3-4 black players in mostly Spain and one from France. There are tons of players in the UK of black, Hispanic, and many other races. Just because a few clubs throughout the eastern world direct their racism to one player does not mean the whole rest of the world is “evil”.
It also makes sense that there will be political parties that still support the fascist way. Sure when you look at our country, you see no Nazi party out in public, but that may be because there never has been publicly Nazi politics in our country. Over on the other side of the world though, it is a different story, clearly by the war that took place 70 or so years ago, you know, World War II. Just because the fascist governments lost does not mean they will just disappear. A small example can be seen in everyday life. As Penn State University students, we have all experienced loss in sports, but do we just disappear and never mention Penn State again? No. When a family member or friend dies, do you just stop talking about them forever? No. So how about as United States citizens, we shut the hell up and recognize that these organizations still exist. Maybe if we as a country recognized this, then this story wouldn’t be shocking.
In this video they mention that the amount of black Europeans is very small. As a white kid growing up in a town with maybe one black person, the racism doesn’t surprise me. When I first met a person of another color other than white, I didn’t know what to think. Regardless of what people try to say, color makes us different. Anybody that tries to convince me differently, in my opinion, is wrong. Being brought by two white parents makes me significantly more different than somebody brought up by two black parents. Culturally we are very far apart, yet that doesn’t mean we can’t get along. But that some people believe they can defeat racism, you’re an idiot. Racism will always exist. As human beings, it is a natural instinct to make fun of anyone different than us. I have no more to say. May you live a long and peaceful life.
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Shocked, appalled, and disgusted. These were some of the many emotions that entered into my mind while reading this article, and watching the video. I’m not going to jump to the quick conclusion as others would in stating that Europeans are racist. I’m pretty sure that there are just as much racism in the United States as there is in the United Kingdom. But this kind of conduct is so unacceptable. We as people have come so far in the world, but apparently not far enough.
I can only imagine what the athletes were feeling during these racist acts. Especially since it was coming from an angry mob, the pain must be 10 times worst. It is bad enough that in most cases, it would be the opposing team and coach to be likely to yell racial slurs to throw the opposing player off his game. But to have it coming from the fans, not to mention that some of them were the home team fans, it is just a horrible sight and feeling to withhold. I am trying to imagine thousands of people in an audience spitting and throwing objects at me from above, all chanting derogatory words. These athletes put in plenty of time and effort into perfecting their craft, only to have all their diligence shunned by the fans. Thinking about this makes me feel horrible, so I can only imagine what the black players were going through in reality.
I am pretty much outraged at the situation. Such a shame to see this type of conduct and behavior happening during such a huge event. Situations like this, tend to leave permanent stains on the region it was displayed upon. In this case, I also consider soccer to be one of the victims affected in this uprising. Many people will point fingers at one of the most popular sports in the world.
Where do these dramatic acts of racism originate? Personally, I think the cause would be ones countries insecurities of their own country, so they take it out on foreigners to their land. Equality in the social aspect of life is far from ever becoming a reality. The world changes so much every day, you would only wonder weather or not it is changing for the best.
Marc Zoro’s actions were completely justified in my opinion. He should not have to stand their and take the verbal abuse. If I was in his shoes, I would probably storm off the field to. My question is, what are law officials doing to solve this problem? Are the European law enforces that corrupt? Or could it be that they feel powerless to even try and fix the situation.
In all, I think I’ve expressed my truest feelings, and I really do hope things change for the best in the near future, but as one of the comments I read stated, that is only a dream.
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I have a cousin in Sweden and she has witnessed firsthand the racism that occurs in Europe. My family is of Eritrean descent, a country located in North East Africa so racism would be inevitable for us to experience in Europe. Not only in soccer, but it seems that the people in Europe discriminate in other forms as well. In Germany for instance, dark hair would be looked down upon as opposed to blond hair and blue eyes which is the ideal look to have in Germany. Personally, I feel as though it is absolutely absurd to not only discriminate against others, but discriminate against your own people. That's taking racism to an entirely new level of primitive behavior. As a person of African descent, I would highly advise many minorities to not live there. It's hard enough being a black man in the United States, how would you think black people in Europe live? Typically, education is the most important factor to me and those of other minority heritages because it earns us not just a possible huge wage salary, but respect, pride and a great big middle finger to the "man" who oppresses us in everyday society and looks down upon us just because of our skin color. If we have such hardships in our country, imagine what minorities go through in Europe. In a sense, I find racism not only to be barbaric and uncivilized but immature as well. What is it that compels racism and discrimination? Could it be fear? Jealousy? Or the fact that many people just are not used to seeing and meeting people of different color and heritage, but that's the beauty of life, the fact that we all come from different areas and have different cultures. Those cultures should not be rejected by others (mostly white people) but should be accepted and embraced by others as well. The racism in soccer within Europe is tarnishing one of the most popular sports in the country. Many devoted Fascists and other racists may claim that they want to preserve their culture but there is no excuse for what they've been doing as fans. It's not like we're (blacks and other minorities) trying to enslave the Europeans so I'm sure that their culture will be fine. This is an even bigger issue when coaches and players are involved with the racism let alone the fans. I would hope that this issue can be resolved as fast as possible, especially for the safety of the minority players within Europe. The racism in Europe is extreme and destructive. It is not only appalling to watch and hear fans chant racist comments but to Europe, should be a Global embarrassment which is another reason why those with authoritative powers should want to resolve this as promptly as possible.
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I have been a very big fan of soccer for some time now. Being a hardcore sports fan the whole atmosphere of World Cup Soccer is like nothing else in the world. I always knew that there was much more meaning to the Cup because you are directly playing for bragging rights of your country and the honor or playing on one of the grandest stages for your country. Naturally, I knew that it was very competitive and because of that, other team’s fans will do anything possible to get in the heads of their opponents. Let’s be honest the best way to be your opponent it to have them beat them selves.
I was shocked after seeing that fans, players, and even coaches had resorted to racism to get in the head of their opponents and trying to motivate their own players. Although, it is competitive I was always under the assumption that all parties involved in World Cup Games, except maybe minus fans are a mutual respect for each others abilities and well as cultures. It makes you wonder how much respect that actually does have for each other deep down under their countries alliances. The true question is are club owners really standing behind their coaches using racial slurs against other teams players in order to motivate their own players. Are the owners need/ desire to win for bragging rights as well as revenue really the root of the problem?
The thing I can’t seem to understand with this whole situation is for example if a African Country using racial slurs to get in the head of another African country; is that original country not just directly oppressing themselves back with using racial slurs basically on their own kind. You shouldn’t have to racial oppress someone enough to get in their heads so you can kick a ball around for 120 better then them because their head is now not in the right place.
I glad to see the FIFA is trying to make leaps and bounds to fix this problem and penalize involved parties. However, I hope they do not get to out of control with the regulation of what is aloud and what is not. I don’t think that that racism in any form should be aloud what so ever in any means. I do feel fans should be able to make signs and have chants as long as they are not toward the racist side. Fans make the experience of the whole event and games, and if you did not let fans taunt and get in the heads of players then the whole vibe around the event would be taking from the game.
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After watching this video, I expected it to be quite disturbing and about fans yelling racial slurs at members of the opposite team, which is obviously beyond wrong. I couldnt believe it thought when the fans were yelling racial slurs at members of their OWN team, too. I never knew anyone could have such disrespect for another individual just because of his skin color, especially an individual such as Zoro or Henry who are both so talented and catalysts in the success of their teams. Maybe someone should remind these so-called fans that they are at the games to cheer and support their SOCCER teams, well "football" I guess, toward a win against the opponent. Fans shouldn't come to a game to simply yell racial slurs at players, even of their OWN team, and hold up banners expressing their hatred of players of different color.
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These European fans went to the game to watch players kick a ball in a goal, not to pretend like they're superior than even someone who could probably kick all of their asses anyway. It's just ridiculous and should have never been allowed to continue for so long. These fans need to learn how to be fans of everyone, not just people who look like them. Does a person's skin color really affect how he plays soccer, how he talks, how intelligent he is–no. So what is the point, I'll never get it. The only difference is his appearance, and even though Zoro and Henry pretended not to have let the fans get to their heads for so long, it is obvious even the very first comment affected them greatly. No person deserves to be treated like that, especially by people who are supposed to be supportive..
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Soccer happens to be the most popular sport in the world, watched by millions of fans. Sadly, soccer’s audience is exposed to actions of racism during most games. Although the chants and signs made by a game’s audience may not always be apparent on television, sometimes the players are simply unable to ignore certain offensive racial outbursts. What I’d like to understand is how European countries allow the audience to broadcast such racist messages through chants and signs such as “Peanuts and Bananas are the pay for your infamy.” I can only imagine what goes through people’s heads after observing such blasphemy. Surely, children’s opinions on racism are influenced after watching such athletic venues. And this is where the problem should be stopped; it cannot be considered acceptable, or this recurring cycle will continue in Europe.
To make it seem somewhat understandable, certain critics agree that such racial tension exists because Europe is not accustomed to other skin colors; they just aren’t exposed to many Black Europeans. Although somewhat logical, I consider this excuse to be a load of you-know-what.
I’ve traveled to Europe (specifically Poland) on multiple occasions, and although coming across another skin color aside from white is rather unusual, it does NOT serve the excuse to treat others like monkeys, or any other animal for that matter. I can only imagine the extent of punishments that would ensue if a fan dared to utter racial slurs in a stadium in the USA. And maybe it would be a little more understandable if you were taunting the other team, but when some of these insults are directed at your team’s star player, it ceases making any sense at all. Those kinds of fans are not fans at all, but rather, hooligans under some sort of influence, anxiously waiting for the opportunity to mess with players’ heads. Better yet, even Luis Aragones, coach of the National Spanish team, was racist to one of his best players, Thierry Henry. After the fact, he simply dismissed his comments as acceptable and contributory to the overall development of the player. His actions were far from “acceptable”, and a measly $5,000 dollar fine doesn’t exactly transmit the message that such racist actions will not be tolerated. No wonder it continues even today…
But can we blame it on their culture? Although European culture is so different, why can’t police prevent dangerous situations such as mobs and riots after certain sporting events, such as soccer games? What is it that tempts these fans to wreak havoc and total destruction, regardless of the outcome for their team, win or loss? Certainly, drugs and alcohol may have some influence, but something needs to be done to drown out these obnoxious fans. Luckily the stepping stones have been laid down; after personal abuse, Thierry Henry launched an advertisement with Nike named “Stand Up, Speak Up.” But this fight takes more than a campaign; Europe is in for a lengthy racial struggle, and if nations come together with athletic leagues to start forming solutions, a diverse life in Europe will become a little more peaceful.
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This was the first time I have seen this video. I was shocked at what the coach was caught saying on tape. I’m sure the coach’s salary is a considerable amount and he was only fined $5000. Lebron James kicked a water bottle and was fined $25,000. We live in a world that is so technologically advanced, we should make these fans accountable for their actions. If fans are caught throwing bananas on the field they should be arrested and not allowed to attend anymore FIFA events. I believe that alcohol could play a role to some of the behavior, but throwing bananas onto the field would almost have to be a premeditated action. Not everyone just carries around bananas for no apparent reason.
Why would fans of the team make racial slurs to a player that is on the team? That is just insane. If you like a team and spend money to support and watch them, then why would you harass someone on the team?
I think that more sponsors should have advertisements like Nike. I think that education and awareness is a start in the right direction. Many people are not aware of this problem, at least many people from the United States are not aware of this problem. Soccer is not the most popular sport in the United States like it is pretty much everywhere else in the world. I do know that if these types of actions happened in the United States people would be outraged.
It would be very hard to play for a soccer team in a country that hated you and that were racist against you. I’m not sure how FIFA works, but what if you were traded to a team where this type of racist hatred existed towards you? It would be bad enough just playing one game in a stadium where this type of outrage exists let alone playing a season there.
What are the European schools teaching their children? Are they teaching them to be racist? For the most part here in the United States most people that are racist are considered to be uneducated. I’m sure that the percentage of college graduates that are racist is lower than the percentage of high school drop outs that are racist. At least here in the United States.
I think the soccer players should not be treated this way. FIFA needs to come up with some solutions quickly because obviously there is a problem. Where are they going to draw the line with the actions of soccer fans? Is it going to take someone dying before more FIFA makes a stand against this type of behavior? I know that this type of behavior would not be tolerated at an NFL game or MLB game so it should not be tolerated at a FIFA game.
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This video was very enlightening and contained a lot of sad realities that I did not realize were so prevalent in the world of professional soccer. Since soccer is the world's most popular sport, I previously believed that it was also its most universal sport. However, it seems that an unfortunately large amount of people around the world, ranging from players to fans to management, do not think of the game as being universal. Rather, they believe that dark-skinned players of African descent have no place in the game. While the expression of such ideas from anyone involved in any American professional sport would warrant severe consequences, this does not seem to be the case in Europe. Although the United States is often looked at as being less "civilized" than European countries, it appears that in this case we are far less outdated than our counterparts across the Atlantic. Fans and players alike seem to be able to express their hateful opinions as openly as they would like with almost no risk of punishment. I was appalled to see that the coach of the Spanish national team could make such hateful remarks about Thierry Henry, a remarkable player and true ambassador of the game, and get nothing more than a $5,000 fine (a mere slap on the wrist). I can't even imagine such a thing happening in American professional sports. Hypothetically, if Bill Belichick got caught calling Donovan McNabb some sort of racial slur before a Patriots-Eagles game, not only would he be fined hundreds of thousands of dollars but he would probably lose his job as well, and rightfully so.
The fact that such open acts of racism still occur in our world is troubling, but that isn't even the most troubling part about the whole situation. The most troubling part is that such open acts can occur in professional sports, a very open public forum with which people of all ages and backgrounds are involved. Thousands and thousands of children are in the stands at all of these games where idiotic, spiteful fans teach them how to be insulting, degrading, and hateful to the opponent rather than giving them the respect they deserve. These hooligan fans who stoop so low to disrespect individuals just because of what color they are should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. The national federations in these European countries must intensify their efforts to rid the game of racism immediately. Any fan caught committing any type of racist act or participating in any type of outward hate should be ejected from the stadium for the game. Any players or coaches that discriminate in any way against dark-skinned players should be given hefty fines and additional suspensions. However, there is only so much FIFA can do to crack down on the racism in European soccer. It is ultimately up to the fans to start having more respect for the game and more importantly, for their fellow men and women of the world. To heckle an opposing player is one thing; such acts happen at every professional sports game that takes place all over the world. However, as the activist in the video mentioned, to heckle someone over the color of their skin is uncalled for and something entirely different than a simple insult. The European fans have the power to rid the game of hate. Now it is up to them to get with the times and accept people for who they are.
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This is when raging fans go to far! Did I believe that racist ceased, not at all? Did I think that there were not any outspoken racists, not at all? However, I did not think it would happen in this setting or to this extent.
Not only do I fault the European people but I also fault the European government- the leaders of the European countries that allow these actions to persist. I know some may believe that it is too massive to change, too monumental but the fact is it is not. Some may say that the small population of blacks is to blame but then the question is, why can’t well-educated Spanish and White citizens step up and tell others that what they are doing is wrong. The change in America did not come solely because of efforts of African Americans but also from efforts of sensible Americans of other races that knew that discrimination was unjust, inhumane and wrong.
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Living in America, I feel that we have made great strides to overcome racism. I have a zero tolerance attitude when it comes to racism. I feel like it is a horrible, ignorant way of life that we luckily have been trying to overcome in the U.S. I never realized that other countries are still stuck in a place where racism is still a major issue. After watching the video I couldn’t help but feel so much anger towards those fans. Just because of the color of the players skin should not make a difference in any way. they work just as hard, if not harder and should be congratulated for their effort and talent just like everyone else on the team. I don’t know where this idea that just because you have a darker skin tone makes you inferior stemmed from but I think that this day and age it is something that should not exist anywhere in the world.
What many of these ignorant fans don’t realize is how hard these men work just to get criticized from their own country. To become a professional athlete in any sport takes so much time, dedication and hard work. That is what these players should be judged upon. I also thought that the coach on the video was totally inappropriate. I played sports for fifteen years of my life and was lucky enough to be on many different hard-working winning teams so I understand that each coach has their own tactic on motivating their players. This coach’s approach was despicable. If I heard my coach ever say anything of that nature about me to anyone else, I would not be able to play for him anymore. The coaches are there to make sure that the team is actually a team and not just 11 individuals playing soccer.
On a lighter note, I commend every single one of the players who in spite of all of the hate and disrespect they face keep pursuing their passion. It takes a lot of self-control to be able to stay out on the field with all of the discrimination surrounding them. That to me is a true judgment of character. It shows that they are talented people with a passion who will stop at nothing to do what they love. I don’t think that I would be able to endure an entire stadium filled with people of my own country cheering against me. I hope that these countries will soon come to realize that the color of someone’s skin has no significance to what kind of person they are. Every single person is different in their own way and should only be judged by their character and not what they look like.
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So I sat here watching this and without a doubt, I was in a state of shock. All throughout this video, I couldn't help but think about how racism still exists in this day and age. And not only that it still exists, but that it may be getting worse and worse as years progress. To see an audience react in such a way only made me feel such remorse for the players. These so-called "fans" should not even attend these events if they are going to taunt and ridicule their own team members especially if they're not even going to be calling them out for their flaws on the field, but of the color of their skin.
It truly isn't the sub- Saharan Africans' fault that they were born darker than the Europeans. Can these people grow up? I can't even imagine how the players must have felt. Focusing on an international competition should already be stressful as it is. Now having a banana being tossed onto the field by the thousands of people pretty much "Boo-ing" players off the field? This is just unacceptable…
The town I come from is actually very diverse; so diverse that I did not have to face serious racial comments everyday as other people do in other areas of this country, or in cases like this, other areas in the world. I personally feel for these men. And to watch this video, I can say that it honestly breaks my heart. These athletes are obviously placed into such highly ranked teams for their talent, regardless of their race or the color of their skin. After all, they are playing for the World Cup.
This isn't some kind of freak show. I don't understand what makes these fans think it is okay to harass these talented men only due to their physical aspects. If I were in their shoes, as much as I would not want it to bother me, I would not be at ease at all. There's only so much a person can take. It just isn't right. To have the majority of people in the stands not cheer but make racial remarks and shout offensive names as these athletes step onto the field. If you are going to root for a team, it doesn't make sense to exclude certain players just because they aren't the same color as the rest of the team.
From the looks of it, these men are helpless and all that they really want to do is get out there and play the game. They have so much passion for the game just like the rest of the team. Racism is such a huge issue that this world is dealing with and has been dealing with for centuries. I cannot wait to see the day where everyone can be at peace with one another and for people, such as the fans in this video, to realize that they need to stop showing hatred towards people with different color skin as their own and to stop throwing bananas onto the field. After all, we all used to be monkeys…
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It's interesting how the inertia of culturally supported racism has kept it going all these years. As an American growing up in a relatively ethnically diverse area, it's really eye opening to me that this kind of behavior still exists in the world. It makes me really appreciate the magnitude of the system that the American civil rights movement had to derail. Also, it makes me appreciate how far we have come as a society. Many of the fans depicted were waving flags with swastikas. Conversely, an incident comes to my mind where a sponsor was banned from working with the UFC for selling T-Shirts with comparatively much tamer 1940's-era German imagery.
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As shocking as this video may seem, I'm not as surprised by it as many. The shock value is only derived from the overt, national, and public acceptance of such ridiculous behavior and the lack of an outcry from the surrounding public. The only difference between the United States and Europe is If something like this were to occur in the United States (actually I wouldn't be surprised if things like this happened every day in the minds of millions Americans) there would be a massive outcry from the public–even the seemingly racist would save face and defend such actions. Racism is taboo here. Its not talked about–its avoided. But it dosen't mean it doesn't exist. If anything this video is proof that racism in AMERICA still exists and shows the lack of progression in the world as a whole when it comes to dealing with the race issue. Europeans aren't the only ones with racist tendencies. They just seem to be the ones who display them on national television. In America, we do it in the comfort of our own homes, in our basements, and social gatherings. In our school's playgrounds and in the very dim light of our institutions and public systems. We might not be throwing bananas at Kobe Bryant–we might celebrate our athletes instead of criticizing them–but racism is still very prevalent in this country today– and it's definitely one of the most dangerous types of racism in existence today–the kind that slips under the radar and quietly goes unnoticed. Its easy to sit there and watch this video and point at these fools who don't understand "human right". Its easy to accuse them of their overt bigotry. Because its obvious–their disrespect I mean. Its another thing to look ourselves in the mirror and examine the wrongs we do–the wrongs we think–everyday. The small things that unintentionally culminate into the the racism that is still so prevalent in our country today. I try to examine and really delve deeper into the thoughts and comments of others and myself. For example, I live with a number of white roommates and just the other day as we're casually sitting around our kitchen table and in the midst of a perfectly fine conversation about our president my roommate interjects with this comment, " You know what, I wish I were black, then I could have free shit." I respond with: "That's one of the stupidest things I have ever heard come out of your mouth." Later on she said "You just think I'm a racist." She's right. But its not just her. These thoughts still permeate the minds of EDUCATED, smart college students. Imagine the thoughts of others. I'm not even saying I'm high and mighty and above such things. I've noticed subtle racist tendencies in myself as well. Maybe I'll be mad at something and just think a racist thought–knowing its wrong, knowing better, but still letting the thought enter my consciousness. So yeah, we may not be overt bigots, but we're bigots just the same.
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