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.
We all know soccer (football?) is taken to the utmost extreme in Europe. I had the opportunity to experience this firsthand when I attended a match while I was studying abroad in London. Let’s just say I was careful only to root for the home team and to generally keep my mouth shut, lest I betray my minimal knowledge about the sport. The people seated around me were rowdy, diehard fans – and surprisingly much more crude than any fans you’d find at a Penn State football game. The insults that escaped their mouths were shocking- I’d expected devoted fans, but not necessarily CRUEL ones.
We’ve also all seen movies like the Green Street Hooligans, where soccer clubs are almost gang-like in their structure. In the movie, violence and even killings are not uncommon when two enemy clubs clash, and the hatred between rivals is so intense that you’d think they were enemies for reasons beyond just being rivals. After these personal experiences, and watching the video posted by Sam, I find myself wondering, “How far is too far to go for supporting your team?”
Firstly, it’s important to remember that it is just a sport. Yes, I understand that to some it represents much more than that, such as national pride. But when it comes down to it, the purpose- the SOLE purpose- of soccer is to have fun, whether you’re playing it or watching it.
How dare the man with the megaphone target a specific player and shout the things he did? How dare other players mutter racial remarks under their breath at minority players on the opposite team? And how the hell is this still happening in the 21st century?
It’s easy to think racism is eradicated in this day and age. But this video shows just how rampant it still is. It’s outrageous that fans such as those aren’t immediately kicked out of the stadium. The soccer clubs need to adopt a zero tolerance policy for that sort of behavior. Young children attend these games; is this really what we want them to be exposed to? Unintelligent, ignorant jerks who take a sport so seriously that they think nothing of waving a flag bearing the swastika? Are we really living in a world where this sort of behavior is considered acceptable?
It disgusts me that these kind of actions are still happening in the world today. I naively like to believe that everyone is as enlightened and open-minded as my friends and I, but it is evident by this video that that is not the case. I can only hope that soccer clubs take steps to eradicate racism from the sport, and that future generations learn from our ignorance and chose to “step up to be the better fan,” as many Penn State shirts read.
[Reply]
I am very happy this issue has been brought up especially considering there is another World Cup coming up this summer. It makes me wonder if there was strategy in locating the World Cup this year in South Africa (the farthest south you can go in sub-Saharan Africa). Soccer should be a bonding game considering it is so international and loved by many. It should remain a player’s game and each player should be respected for his or her own talent not the color of your skin. There is power in mob mentality. People tend to get more aggressive when surrounded by supporters. But then there is power in FIFA to do some serious crowd control. Harsher punishments need to be passed and security needs to be tightened. Nazi flags or any banner of hatred should not be permitted through the gate, regulate the fans. Certain chants should not be allowed or anything resembling a hate crime/abuse in anyway shape or form.
I love how the United States stepped in and covered this issue. Europe has long had serious issues with racism in general that are allowed to go unchecked, and then they are dumfounded by the behavior in the stands. Was it less atrocious when one individual was doing it to someone else? I do not believe so. Hate has one face, and so there is no excuse. Protect the players, chasten the coaches. FIFA do your job or what use are you? It’s like an enabling parent that has a delinquent child that is always getting arrested and yet they tell you s/he is a good boy/girl. No s/he’s not, that child needs correction because something is just not being done.
I also think individual nations need to pay attention and correct their own people’s behavior. So far there are no consequences to delinquent behavior like this. Silence says “I agree.” I admire those soccer players that are stepping up and speaking up and out about the racism they are experiencing and imploring all others who see the wrong in it all to act and rectify the situation so soccer becomes a fun sport that billions enjoy. Fear of what is happening outside should not sip its way inside the stadium. Mob mentalities like this need to be addressed. People caught on camera need to be disciplined which will require more than just a slap on the wrist. Players that become demi-gods feeding off of another’s torment that has nothing to do with the game need to be dismissed there should be no space for such as these.
If fear stemming from immigration was the true issue I would say learn more about the people you fear for odds are you know nothing at all about why you are afraid, you just are because so-and-so can make a good argument. But being that there aren’t even that many black Europeans in Europe, where is all this coming from?
[Reply]
This is crazy. I had no idea this kind of racism went on in soccer stadiums in Europe. I thought they were supposed to be our cultural role models over there. I know racism is still alive all across the world, but I thought it was only in private or in secret meetings in the middle of nowhere. This is intolerance in its purest form in a public place, at an event that is being televised, and it shouldn’t be happening. I suppose a lot of regrettable soccer related incidents happen in other countries though. The sport is infamous for its massive riots and violent hooligans who terrorize people in support of their squad. It’s a mob mentality that takes a hold of the fans and makes them feel that it is appropriate to do outrageous things. It’s the same thing when a big group starts insulting a black player and giving the fascist salute. They feel like they are part of something bigger and they know there won’t be any direct repercussions, so they just go nuts. Maybe it is because black players are the minority in pro soccer, whereas in pro football and basketball in the United States, at least half of the players are black. In the U.S. good players are regarded just as highly as one another no matter their race and there certainly aren’t fans throwing bananas onto the field or court. Most of us feel like we have gotten past that kind of thing. It’s good that FIFA finally made an attempt at quelling the racism at matches, but I don’t think that their method of dealing with it would be very effective. Penalizing the team for the behavior of their fans seems wrong. I do admire Sepp Blatter’s willingness to halt a world cup match in the event of a racist outburst though. It shows how dedicated he is to eradicating this unacceptable behavior. Before watching the video, I had never realized that there was no civil rights movement in Europe like the one in America in the 1960’s. They didn’t really have that turning point, so in some places it’s like the early part of the 1900’s race-wise. I guess in some places, racism is like a tradition that is passed down through the generations. When you think about it, European culture has a lot more history and tradition behind it than we have here in the United States and people like to adhere to tradition, so it isn’t so surprising that they still have not let go of their racism. Stubborn people get rooted in their ways and since racism goes back thousands of years in Europe, the roots are extremely deep.
[Reply]
This video shocked me! I went to Europe four years ago and experienced a different culture, to say the least. There were many people of different races and ethnicities. I also saw so many mixed race couples, and my parents explained to me that in Europe mixed race couples weren’t looked down on…like in the United States. How shocking that these people could say such rude things to sports players that they idolize. I heard that soccer fans in Europe are crazy, and I have never heard such racist views toward a player from the team they enjoy watching. I thought we’ve evolved more as a people.
While watching the YouTube clip, I had thought that at least all the “bad mouthing” would keep the team closer. However watching what Thierry Henry’s coach had said about him falsified that thought. I know that there is racism in the United States, but I had no idea that racism was that bad over in Europe (even though the clip was four years old). I wonder if racist precautions for this year’s World Cup have been taken, or even if there has been racist activity in the stadiums during the matches. I would like to think that the European government has acted upon these barbaric actions, and come up with a procedure for the safety and sanity of the players that are being taunted. What kills me is that the racist slurs aren’t coming from the soccer teams or the coaching staff, but rather the fans. I’d like to know what FIFA officials are going to do to deal with the crazy soccer hooligans that run amuck throughout the stadium. This is a world event, and I’d like to think that people would get together and have a great time, rather than dealing with the hatred they have for someone’s skin color. Just like Sam stated, their actions now in Europe are what the United States seemed to go through during the Civil Rights movement. Maybe I’m just naïve, but I thought that Europe had an understanding between different races, because of where they are located. I’ve heard of crazy stories from students that have studied abroad explaining how much fun European fans are during the soccer game days, but nobody ever told you about the racism that takes place in the stands. It also goes to show how different the United States and European governments are, because the United States government, in this day and age, would never let that behavior continue to happen. Although, it makes me wonder if the United States has some racist issues like this and the media keeps it on the down low. Once again that YouTube clip blew me away. It’s very upsetting to see how awful someone could be treated, even when they are one of the best soccer stars in the world. Unfortunately, so much of this is taught and will continue unless the cycle is broken. If it is encouraged, it will never end.
[Reply]
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 teams fans will do anything possible to get in the heads of their opponents. Lets be honest the best way to be your opponent it to have them beat them selves.
[Reply]
I am amazed at this video. I had no idea that football fans displayed such racist acts. The entire organization needs to do something about this. First off, security should not allow fans to bring air horns into the stadium. Prevent fans from having air horns would stop them from being heard as well. The man in the video with the air horn who is shouting insults and racist remarks to the black player saying that the player is garbage is ridiculous. The only person who is garbage there is the man with the air horn. The people throwing bananas onto the field are the ones who should be eating those bananas…they are the ones who are the monkeys. I know that it would be difficult for security to prevent fans from bringing bananas into the stadium with them, but anyone who is caught throwing objects onto the field should automatically be ejected from the game. No player should have to put up with having bananas flung at them during a game or not. I mean these people are so uncivilized. If they think they are better than those black players, they are fooling themselves. They think they are so much better, but they are definitely not. Those fans don’t even come close in comparing to the black football players. Those men deserve respect, just like any other player. I mean these men are incredibly talented. Those Europeans look like they are still in the 1940s. If I were to see pictures of swastika flag in the crowd without reference to the time period, I would think that it was still around the time of World War II. People in Europe need to stop being in denial and realize that the stuff they are witnessing is real. They also need to realize that it’s not only a few rowdy fans who are displaying these obscene racist acts. To say that there is not a problem is an understatement. Also, the coach who said that Henry was a piece of shit is a huge hypocrite. The only piece of shit I see in that situation is that white coach. Henry is an amazing player. The black football players are so much better than the people who try to put them down. Have the Europeans reverted back to the time of Hitler and Mussolini? They look like a bunch of Nazi and Fascist idiots. I think that it’s a great idea that the team will be penalized due to their fans actions. It’s the team and country’s responsibility to stop radical fans from displaying acts of hate. I just don’t understand how fans could treat a player so badly. Those players are just like every other player on the team, if not better. How can you call yourself a fan if you don’t support your team’s players? I think that those new regulations should apply not only to the players, coaches and officials, but to the fans. Those fans should be ashamed of themselves. They are making fools out of themselves, their team, and their country. They need to change. They need to show pride in their team and in their country. They are embarrassing their team and country.
[Reply]
To be completely honest, I had no idea that these types of things are still going on in Europe. I am not exactly sure how I feel about this, on one hand I feel ignorant to not knowing of these events. On the other hand I feel a little persecuted as a citizen of the United States. It seems as if the US is perpetually perceived as the home of the ultimate racists, when in reality the country we live in harbors an enormous amount of acceptance for diversity. To match the ignorance seen in these videos on ESPN, I recently heard about a bill that the country of Uganda plans of passing. The Bill proposes that the death penalty be used upon homosexuals, HIV positive individuals, and anyone who engages in same sex relations. The bill even goes as far to say that they plan to extradite native Ugandans back to the country if they find out about same sex relations in other African countries
[Reply]
. Granted, this is a much different issue than that of racism in Europe but ironically it is all the same. Ignorance (to some) and difference in beliefs are present all over the globe, and for some reason the United States has been put into the position of taking all the heat. I mean, I guess because we captured millions of slaves from Africa two hundred years ago we are supposed to give Africa a free pass in gay bashing? Do you know what the implications would be if a bill was even proposed to criminalize homosexuality in the United States? (Which by the way, homosexuality is illegal in sub Saharan Africa). We have protests and marches and DEFIANCE toward the law, whereas in foreign countries, any type of resistance would be met with punitive punishment. I consistently hear my peers complain about the country they live in, that we are selfish and greedy and "fuck the man".
[Reply]
But you know what; we've got the best fucking man, metaphorically of course. We live in a country that allows for any type of questioning, we no longer value obedience to authority. In my heart I believe that I have liberal intentions, but I am extremely conservative in practice. I bring this up because of stories like this. For some reasons Americans are made to believe that they have done so much wrong. That the white man took the red man's land, that they butchered so many other men's land, that they enslaved the black man and that they take advantage of most countries. Although if we were truly free of racist beliefs, we would stop viewing the other locales with such nostalgia, that every place on this earth is plagued with the components of both good and evil.
[Reply]
Shocking, I never knew this about Europe. For some reason I’ve thought that perhaps they were more accepting than the U.S. when it comes to racial differences. I stand corrected. I wouldn’t have guessed something like this was still happening in a place like Europe. What a shame this is going on. Soccer is supposed to be “the sport to play” but the fans are harassing players who are, undoubtedly better than they are at it.
Growing up Black in a town of predominately White people, has given me plenty of unpleasant experiences of my own. I can understand to a point how hard it is to be harassed and called unpleasant things because of my race. Nevertheless, I cannot even begin to put myself in the shoes of these players.
Being called names by a few people here and there is NOTHING compared to the thousands of “fans” in the crowd who constantly have nothing but bad things to say about me. I understand why the Black players would play, for money and fame or what have you, but I don't understand why they keep playing. If I were them I would have given up as soon as I have enough money and fame to last a life time. I cannot pretend to understand their mindset though, after everything they have gone through (and are still going through) who can tell what they are thinking. I have a great respect for these players, I would have flipped out a long time ago (and flip out is a nice place to put it).
What is most shocking, and what I still cannot understand, is why no one is doing anything about it. I can only hope that if something like that would happen here at one of our “football” games that someone would put a stop to it. Despite my hopes though, I do have to ask myself, would someone let that happen here? Harassment in the stands from the fans in Europe has apparently been going on for quite some time and has just been “accepted”. It is sad that the players have to take it upon themselves to try to put a stop so such ridiculously unacceptable actions. The fans should be ashamed of themselves for acting the way that they do.
I want to finish by saying just because Europe is opening more racist then people are here in the U.S. doesn’t mean it does not exist here. Some would like to believe that all is fine in this wonderfully diverse country in which we live but the truth of the matter is this, it is just better hidden here. I do believe racism is something that will always exist despite past historical movements. It is a matter of opinion and as long as there is no harassment or physical violence we should all simply agree to disagree.
[Reply]
TorreyLFranklin Reply:
January 30th, 2010 at 2:38 am
You are very right when you say that racism still exists here and it is much better hidden. I grew up as a white kid in a town with that was more than two-thirds black or African-American and I saw many very racists acts. When I was in 8th grade my white friend and I were talking to two blacks guys we were good friends with and played on the freshman basketball with them. This is in Southern Virginia in a very conservative town at night; we were all talking, the black guys Darren and Chris were on bikes then Grant, the white guy and I also white were not. We talked for about ten minutes when three cop cars rolled up, stopped and got out of the cars. They took the black guys and searched them and then took me and Grant over to a car with a detective. They didn't search us. We asked the detective what was going on and he said they had thought the black guys had stolen our bikes and that they thought we were having a dispute in the parking lot. They didn't even question the black guys. We told the detective that they were our friends and they were not even our bikes. The detective gave us his card and told him to call him if we ever had any problems. They never even asked Chris and Darren their side of the story or even gave them the rights they are entitled to as Americans, the police were ready to arrest these guys for absolutely no reason. Although this happened long ago it has stuck with me since because it opened my eyes to the injustice that minorities are subject to each day. This has to change and it will be anything but easy. I disagree with you in that fact that I think this as well as racism as a whole can be abolished. We have to have a different mindset, it is easy to say that things will never change and that racism will always exist but this attitude won't change a thing. As a child growing up my parents always told me never to judge someone by the color of their skin but rather judge them by the things that they do and say, I have tried my hardest to live by this creed and I feel I've done a pretty good job at it. This sounds simple and easy to do but that fact is that no one actually does it. If people tried to look past color and stereotypes then I think this could make a tremendous change.
[Reply]
This video is very unsettling, especially to fans of the sport in America who cannot imagine doing such things in any sporting event. I believe that the reason that it is most unnerving is that we cannot imagine any type of actions happening here in the United States. I think that the most important thing that sticks out is the demographic of the sport in its European counterparts as compared to not only our American counterparts, but also the demographic in all other American sports and our who is dominant in our government and population. I believe that there are two things that we should be most concerned with regarding these actions: The mob mentality and spirit that makes this most acceptable, and the typical demographic of most sporting events in European countries.
The first thing that I feel is most important is the demographic of soccer overseas as compared to our country’s soccer demographic and our sports in general. Though I am not trying to underestimate the seriousness of these actions, we must consider that soccer in Europe is an almost exclusively white sport to begin with. The players and general population of Europe are generally white, and this is the predominant culture that stands in Europe, and with their most popular sports. Our country and sports are much more mixed, and do not have much, if any, regulation of culture or race when it comes to sport and celebration.
I think that the next thing that we should be most concerned with is the point where these fans come together and all think that this it is ok for these types of actions to continue. I believe that these fans are originally notoriously rowdy. When this and the thought that most European sports only have whites as participants come together, I am sure that it is not hard for a crowd to come to a common ground where they decide that there is a certain people that should not be in attendance. As American citizens, we would never consider doing something as such for these reasons, the most important of these being that it would be completely unacceptable and ill-received on all grounds. If American fans were to do the same things at American football games, the repercussions would be extensive. I believe that this is a result of our most popular games being largely mixed race, if not predominantly African-American, as well as are general population and people in power. If, say, Al Sharpton were to see that such actions were occurring at such a large event in the diverse country that we live in, there would be no chance that it would be overlooked, and there would possibly be suspensions and further regulations. Overall, I believe that common cultural trends and demographics shape this type of behavior.
[Reply]
I do not even know what to say after seeing this video. I remember watching it when it originally aired and telling everyone I knew they had to see it because of the state of disbelief I found myself in. I want to start by giving credit to those athletes that are targeted by these chants and acts of racism, it is remarkable that they continue to play a game they love, a game that allows the fans to cheer these racist chants. Honestly I have to say that I feel bad for these fans who are taunting these black athletes and practicing in a hatred that we've never seen in our lives. These people are ruining the face of European football, and are also missing out on chances to meet and learn from people that are different races than them. this kind of conduct would never be found in an American sports arena. If chants and taunting broke out like this at any one of our major sports events, football, baseball, basketball, or hockey the League officials would shut the game down and those fans participating in these chants of hatred would be thrown out and probably banned from the arena.
The part of the report that got my blood boiling the most is the fact that the officials of the league are not doing anything about this. I would like to see them put their foot down and say enough is enough. A plan I'd suggest for them to do would be to first stop the game until the chants are over. If that doesn't solve the problem and the chants started up again to throw out as many people as possible that are visibly participating in these chants. If that didn't stop it I would end the game and give the home team a warning that if their fans continued to act in the barbaric way they where there team would face suspension. I feel like suspension of a team would make the fans stop chanting because they would be losing their beloved soccer teams. I also feel bad for those fans who goto the game and aren't participating in the racist chants. Imagine a dad or mom bringing their young kid to a game to watch their role models play and are exposed to some of the worst acts of hatred.
The fact this happens is still boggling my mind. I don't understand how people in this world can still be so disrespectful and ignorant to the world surrounding the. I will pray for those poor people who participate in those acts that one day they will be open enough to embrace people outside of their culture. At the end of the day they are the ones missing out on the experiences all of us partake in everyday. They are missing out on an opportunity to learn about other cultures and their values.
[Reply]
Now that's amazing. The fact that this story ran 4 years ago and it's not widely known. How do we as people allow ourselves to block out so much of the truth in society. I am not a follower of soccer, but i know its a worldwide game. I think that is some of the reason for these kind of things not being exposed to the light. The world is so big that we so many different views and exceptions in each culture that people don't know what to show. Its scary to even think that people still think like this in the world. I mean really? throwing bananas on field? That's completely inhumane. You have to be deeply disturbed in order to participate or even start a "monkey" chant.
Its insane how people can be in denile about things of this nature. How can you act like racism isn't happening when there is a gigantic Nazi banner in your stands. The thing that upset me the most was the coach. As a coach your job is to motivate and encouraged your players while teaching them the correct moves and procedures needed to win. However, when your coach is telling you that the people on the other team need to be disrespected and beaten because their black, that is not what logical. He should be fired. Then, the worst part about it all is the punishment that this man receives. He gets a 5000$ fine. Do you think that this man who is the coach of a major soccer team will be affected by that? Do you think that he is going to stop thinking and saying those kind of things? not at all. He's just going to be careful about who's around him when he says it. You cant exterminate racism as much as you try. There will always be a few people who cannot be changed.
How can we expect things to be changed when FIFA applies a number of rules and regulations to everyone BUT the fans. It all stems from anger and ignorance. These players are being treated like animals while playing like champions. Can we imagine how things might be if these acts happened in a different sport? What if someone called Kobe Bryant or Lebron James a monkey? What if someone held up a racist banner during the super bowl? It would be enforced. We NEED to take the action necessary. Its our obligation as human beings. We should not sit by and let other people be treated unfairly, especially when it is based solely on race, ethnicity, or color of skin. Hopefully the "Speak Up" campaign will gain more support after our classes watching this video. Something needs to be done.
[Reply]
The greatest emotion I can name after watching the ESPN clip is surprise. I am utterly shocked that behavior like that from fans is tolerated anywhere in the world. I cannot decide however, if my surprise is misplaced. It is interesting to be reminded that not everyone thinks the same way and that places exist where people do not share the same values as you. This was a situation I encountered when visiting my grandfather in Georgia.
Being from a Southern state, I tend to think I understand Southern ideologies more than people from the North, but running into real honest to goodness racism here in the United States really shook me to my core. I always knew in a theoretical kind of way that racism existed, and still does exist, that it is a continuing issue that cannot be solved overnight, but I guess I really did not understand what that meant. When I went to visit my grandfather we went to the grocery store and he was explaining as we were driving that the store we were passing was the “black supermarket” and we were going to the “white one.” He explained to me that in the small town where he lived, that really is the way it is there. I had never had to confront segregation and racism before that visit and that experience will stay with me forever. I knew I felt a certain kind of way about it, but I never had to deal with my feelings on the subject. After that visit I knew that I felt very uncomfortable with the thought of not being accepted somewhere because of the color of my skin. I feel weird about the idea of being judged before even meeting someone, and yet, I know we do it everyday.
What I cannot imagine is dealing with that level discomfort and unquiet everyday as part of my job. That is what soccer is to these gentlemen. It is their job. Imagine walking into an office building and having people scream at you and make derogatory comments everyday. The idea is absurd, but it is reality for these men. The fact that this issue has not been addressed until recently is ridiculous. No one on earth should be treated that way no matter the setting. Professional sporting events are for everyone; I personally would not want my children to experience that kind of behavior from any adult. It is of importance to everyone that this behavior is not tolerated anymore. It will perpetuate itself if people accept these actions and more and more young people are exposed to it. It is not okay and it should be stopped immediately. There is no reason these fans should not be kicked out of the stadiums if they continue to act so offensively.
[Reply]
Its shocking to see this kind of disrespect on the soccer field now a days because of being such a diverse sport, its like people never move on and hang on shit that its extremely degrading and ahhh I don’t know how else to say it but its completely fucked up, why make a beautiful sport so dishonest and de graded to such a level where player can even celebrate a goal for their own team and their own fans, seeing event like these makes me wonder what the world will come down to if we cant even enjoy a game with out having people like this degrade you for the color of your skin. Some of the best soccer players in the world are of color skin and they play with a passion that has to admire by every fan of the sport unlike this idiots.
But this racist comment exist here in the United States as well, and they are not only in professional sports but go down to High School sports, which I can relate to because I played lacrosse as a High School student being Mexican and outgoing wanting to try a new sport I joint my high school team and things were great I loved the sport, got really into it and yeah I would get comments from my team mates but they were just joking and like funny jokes which I did not mind. Half way through my second season playing in the starting line and being a top midfield scorer I was in the field a lot, so we were playing our rival school and the game was heated. At one point I hurt this extremely racist comment and this are things that I cant just swallow, so I acted on instant and run thourds the kid and preceded to hit him with a rage I hade never experience before, to make a long story short I ended up getting charge for assault, kicked out of the team and suspended from school for 10 days while the kid walked out. Extremely unfair in my opinion and I can really relate to the meaning of hurtful words about ones origin and color of skin.
This is a huge problem in today’s society and I don’t really think it will ever change because we cant change people its just no possible with ignorant individuals like the ones on the video. As Che Guevara once said "Todos los días la gente se arregla el cabello, ¿por qué no el corazón?" meaning “every day people wake up, fix their hair. Why not their hart?” A great quote especially after watching this video and its one of those things that everyone needs to think about, because we need to depend on each other at the end of the day
[Reply]
I really disapprove with the fans on this video. I think that their behavior is wrong in everyway. I think that these people are really close minded and extremely offensive. I mean if I were a professional soccer player, which would never happen in my dreams, I would feel more worse than crap and I shouldn’t at all. These professionals need support not to be humiliated in front of thousands of people. Acts like these should be fined and not tolerated. If acts like these continue at professional games there will never be respect for the actual sport being performed.
[Reply]
It is amazingly despicable that the human race is still constantly demonstrating weakness. Its a weakness of character the lowers a person to devil like behavior. Such evil seems to slip by unnoticed in the consciences of those that our clouded by the culture past on to them by their ancestors. I feel like if Jesus himself sat through a European soccer match and witnessed the cruelty, his blood would boil to the point where he would honestly wish them all dead. Hearing that this is still happening in our world makes me want to lose all hope that we will ever truly reach our potential for peace and understanding; our potential to be universally civil in all matters. There's so much hate in the world and people get so freaking stupid about petty differences that it would not surprise me the least to see karma, probably in the form of a catastrophic natural disaster, wipe us all out in spite. We as one people would deserve it. We, as separate people, divided up between who is good and who is evil, would not all deserve it. We should be racist against those that live evil, corrupted lives. Let them be persecuted by the majority, do they not deserve it most? They would probably claim ignorance at the pearly gates on their judgment day… would you want them to be allowed into heaven?
It really does make you appreciate how far the United States has come. We are, hands down, the most compassionate people in the world as a whole. I truly believed we are more evolved in that way than the rest of the world. These countries- that still abuse their own people for selfish gain, that turn a blind eye to demonstration of pure evil, and that spit on us because they can not truly understand what it is our country has accomplished- are many years behind our people. We are much further along towards no longer acting like animals and really using our God given reason, than they, and its a shame. We will have to lead the way because we have been through it already and we know what must be done. Our country, in this sense, is the parental unit of the rest of the world and if we do not pass on our wisdom, we will crumble as a family.
But how do we do that? No one will want to listen to us because they already disdain us. Just like kids do, they would rebel against the parents authority. Until we are respected, not as a world power that will dominate in war, as a population of caring, loving people, we will not be able to get the rest of the world to buy into our way of life. And that won't be able to happen as long as the war crazy people, corrupt politicians, and greedy money junkies keep giving our beautiful people a bad name. Lets be enlightened, I say, lets get to our full potential. Let's be real humans.
[Reply]
First of all, I’ll start off by saying that I’m pretty sure that my response will be very similar to a lot of other people’s comments but I don’t want to find a similar comment to respond directly to. It was a crazy video though. I really do not like listening to Jeremy Schaap because I think he is really annoying and I could definitely do his job, but in spite of him, the piece was very good. I remember hearing about FIFA being a little worried about certain issues before the 2006 World Cup, but I was not sure what issues they were and why they would be worried since it was going to be held in Germany. Even if I did hear that the issue that FIFA was worried about was racism during the games, I probably would not have believed it. I guess I was just being naïve in my thinking that racism to that extreme would not exist in so many people during the twenty first century. The acts of racism and hate were ridiculous in the video. Racist chants and things like throwing a banana at a black player are just stupid and embarrassing. Having said that, they did work I guess at getting in the heads of the players and throwing them off their games but there is obviously still no place for that. It amazed me to see that the games best players were not immune to the acts of racism. Thierry Henry was one of the world’s best soccer players in the world at the time and it was not only fans but other managers too that were racist to him. I guess it is a little different here than Europe but I couldn’t even imagine going to a Sixers game and hearing the fans chanting a derogatory comment at Kobe Bryant (even though I’m sure people wouldn’t put anything by Philadelphia fans). I did think it was pretty cool that Henry took it upon himself to do an ad campaign with Nike to fight back against racism. FIFA’s actions were probably successful too especially if they included the fans again. Being threatened with the three points of a win would constitute a moderately harsh penalty. I believe fans of these European clubs would stop the racist acts if they were going to cost their teams valuable points. The final thing that this story made me think about was how hard it must have been for the first non-white players to break into the major professional sports. The most famous person like this would be Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier. I’ve read stories about him and it definitely had to suck to deal with all the racists in the US at that time. Thanks to him for doing it too because half of my favorite baseball players are non-white.
[Reply]
Trying to watch such a disgusting act of racism that has been occurring time and time again with out basically any kind of penalty or punishment for years was absolutely painful. I could barely watch the entire thing. It was absolutely shocking and it really makes me realize that even people here in the U.S. who are always trying to enforce political correctness and trying to avoid every situation to not be called racist, also are in denial. I hear some saying that “racism isn’t that big any more,” “no one is racist,” or “people are just being over sensitive.” But it does exist its alive and well in many cultures, its not just a few people either, it is embedded in their culture. And the fear has been continuing to grow in the community because people have been trapped in their over territorial mind set with out any regard for others and what they do to them selves.
That coach that go a slap on the wrist and still did not understand what he had done wrong really shows how uneducated he is. And how that ignorance is embedded in the culture of those who stand behind his statements. There is no excuse for such behavior, to try and claim that it is the same as the fair play taunting that some many other cultures have accepted in their cultures and on their fields is not a applicable defense. Like the announcer said no one ever got dragged down a street or abused in such a way over an “ugly” nose or being “fat.”
It is also not realistic for so many to remain in denial when the problem did not just pop up one day, it has been escalating for years and it will continue to if real decisions and steps are made to try to educate the people who are swayed by so much fear. The fear of having the better parts of their culture (soccer) introduced to other cultures is a good thing and will continue because of increased immigration. Other parts of the world have been taking steps and fighting their own battles with ignorance and fear, the fact the fully able and with in their power officials have not thought that much or even made any real movements or even slow progress to changing the fans way of thinking.
I hardly believe that the official who claims that there would be three points deducted from a team if they or any of their team officials participate in any racially insensitive activity. They also mentioned that the teams would face serious fines that could be extremely devastating but the last time is was only a measly five thousand dollars. This doesn’t seem like it will be really acknowledged for some time.
[Reply]
Unfortunately I had already heard about the extreme racism occurring across the Atlantic during European soccer matches. My brother, an avid soccer fan, actually purchased a “Stand Up Speak Up” bracelet during the year long campaign. According to my brother racism at these soccer matches is not only prevalent but acceptable. This idea was confirmed by the piece shown on ESPN. I was surprised to lean however that even with campaigns like “Stand Up Speak Up” and the promises of UEFA little has changed and the racism still persists. It is even more surprising considering the number of mixed race people in Europe and the overwhelming feeling that Europeans are too refined to be racists. This is one of the few times I am happy to be American, more specifically an American sports fan. Although I am sure there are many racist fans in America our culture has for the most part, discouraged and punished racist acts during professional and amateur sports. I can specifically remember a high school soccer game in which a player was ejected for using a racial slur. I applaud Americans ability to leave racism at the door and maintain a mutual respect for the games in which they attend and the players which they observe. It seems ridiculous that such obvious and overt racism could still remain in European countries. Although I believe that most of this racism is used as an intimidation factor, it has no place in professional sports. I am even more disappointed that this racism has continued and that the players, white or black, are still allowing it to go on. In the “Stand Up Speak Up” campaign prominent, arguably some of the most famous European soccer players joined forces against racism. The director of UEFA even promised significant consequences for violators, however little has changed. Personally I do not believe that team owners, players, or officials should allow this behavior to occur. Technically fans tickets are usually “at will”, meaning they can be rescinded at any time. Why not remove fans or groups of fans who display this outright racist behavior? If players on the field are able to hear/view these acts, I am sure that the culprits will be easily identified. At American football games fans are removed for unruly behavior and some are even tried in a court of law within the walls of the stadium. Now many will say that it is the fans right to voice their own opinions, racist or not. I however believe that overt racism is not freedom of speech but rather harassment and should be treated as such. I believe that our society should not tolerate this type of behavior and sitting back while it continues to occur is just as bad as committing racist acts oneself.
[Reply]
This post really does cause one to stop and reflect on how far our country has come. Living in contemporary society often makes one forget that it was only sixty years ago that African Americans still did not have full rights as citizens of the United States. And now look at us, we have an African American as president of our entire country. Additionally, while the perception of racism in the United States comes from generally small errors or remarks, this post really put into perception how in other parts of the world, racism remains rampant and very much a part of society.
[Reply]
While watching this video about racism in European soccer, the only word that comes to mind is "wow." Something this extreme would be a rare occurrence to come across in the United States. People are ignorant and unwilling to accept other people for the way they are. I think that if anything remotely close to this incident occurred in the United States, the surrounding crowd would quickly disagree with the horrible comments being made. Nobody deserves to be spoken to in this way, and it disgusts me to watch a man yell racial slurs and terrible words to another individual.
[Reply]
This post was personally extremely hard for me to read and the video even more difficult to watch. I have played soccer since I was about nine years old, always knowing it was the world's most popular sport and considered "el juego bonita" or the beautiful game. It breaks my heart that racism still exists in Europe as prevalently as it does. Back in the summer, there was an Iraqi soccer player shot immediately before he took a penalty kick during a friendly in a crowded stadium. As a young, white female, it is hard for me to imagine a world or society where racism is still so dominant and nothing is done to stop or prevent it. I could never imagine the actions of fellow soccer players, coaches, and fans around the world as I have witnessed in the video.
[Reply]
As a long term, die hard Thierry Henry fan, I applaud his tremendous efforts of the campaign that he took on to prevent the outrageous discriminatory acts that occur against European soccer players. Which brings me to another point: European soccer fans are the most hardcore fans across the world. I feel like this is such inappropriate behaviour for them to boast so proudly about their teams, wear their colors, and yell chants and cheers, while on the other hand they find it standard to discriminate the amazing opposing athletes. How is this fair?
[Reply]
It's not. And it sickens me that the government, or in the very least the officials on the field, do not put a stop to this discrimination and blatant racism. I remember playing travel league and high school soccer where boisterous, obnoxious parents would receive warnings from the referees on the field to keep their comments to themselves or they would be removed from the stands. On one particular occasion, my father (who coached my high school's boys' soccer team) was incorrectly blamed for screaming a comment across the field, received a hard red card, and was asked to leave the stadium. This was HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER. The comment was actually made by a parent in the stands, but the referee was not listening to my father, the actual coach, plead his case. He immediately left the stadium. Why is FIFA not recognizing the tremendous strain these beautiful athletes are already under and putting a stop to the hate that emanates from the audience?
[Reply]
And although Thierry Henry's actions and campaign was a noble cause, I do not feel that this is enough to end the hate in Europe. I strongly believe that the European government needs to intervene in the mess of a sport and attempt to return what used to be the most popular game back to "the beautiful game."
[Reply]
This article highlights what are some of the most disgusting acts one human does toward another. The adage, " sticks and stone may hurt my bones but words will never hurt me," is anything but true. The fans that attend European soccer games solely to taunt the players which are of a different color are truly despicable. Some things, even for the most mentally tough athletes, just should not be said especially during a sporting event. Instead of dwelling on how pitiful it is I would rather talk about ways that we can change this vile behavior.
First, I think FIFA should adopt a zero-tolerance policy. It would be something along the lines of, if a fan or group of fans publicly displays acts of racism before, during, or after the futbal match (while they are in the stadium) will immediately be escorted out of the stadium. It would be preferred that they be banned from coming to games for the rest of that season or for life but that may be too much to ask for. In order to ensure that all the fans are abiding by the rules I would ask for increased security for the seats and their fans in the bottom 50 rows of the stadium.
Next, I would try and educate the public and mainly the youth on the wrongs of racism. In order for the public to stop acting out in the ways they do we have to teach them that we are all equals and should be treated as such. Many of the older public will have a tough time changing their views on issues as large as race so it is most important that we focus on the future and those who will form it, the young children and adults. If there were classes, signs, and rules put in place that were specifically to help educate the youth and show them that racism is wrong and unmoral. Changes in society in Europe may take time but I think if we educated the public, much like we do in the United States, on the injustices of racism then we may start to see changes in the game as well as in society.
Views on race is a very hard thing to change and racism is a seemingly impossible issue to solve. However, we have to tackle the issue especially in Europe and within European soccer leagues. A zero tolerance policy at games and educating the children is a start and that is what is most important. Change may not come as fast as we want but it will come as long as we have a progressive mind set. Change must come though we cannot continue to allow racism to be acceptable anywhere it is disgraceful and must come to an end.
[Reply]
I think that it is disgusting that people still fear darker skinned people. Because that’s all the fans, coaches, and teammates are exhibiting, fear and ignorance. For a coach to belittle a member of his teach in that manner, is repulsive. How could a coach try to motivate one team member by discouraging and insulting another? I recently watched the movie Invictus about the apartheid in South Africa. I found the movie both interesting, and shocking. I could not believe that just a couple of years ago black people had to have a card telling them where they were allowed to travel in their own country. A country that whites had come in and taken over. The blacks and the whites in South Africa had so much hate for each other that the blacks in the country cheered for other country’s soccer teams while the white cheered for South Africa. Neither side knew anything about the other, and when whites and blacks were forced to work together the presidents’ guards, they learned that they actually were not that different from one another.
I cannot believe that there is such widespread racism throughout Europe, and that the government does nothing to stop it. Why should another person be allowed to demean another person to the point that they feel worthless? People from my high school actually experienced this European racism first hand. My high school takes annual trips to Europe, and while at a restaurant in Italy they experience extreme taunting, not as extreme as the soccer players faced but racism all the same. When they were leaving the restaurant the natives applauded them. Honestly, I do not understand why people feel that black people are lower than them. I went to high school with blacks, Hispanics, and whites; the people at the top of my class were not white. It’s just a shame that in this day and age racism is still so prevalent. I just read an article about a student at a college in Ohio who wrote, “Feb 2 Kill the Niggers”. How could someone write and plan this at an institution of higher education in 2010. After all our country has gone through, why is race still so important, and why do you have to hate someone just because they are a different race than you? We are all people, and the biggest difference between us is the way we look. We might all be different races, but we share a lot of commonalities. If we would just get passed our external features, we would be able to learn so much about one another. The fact that we are different just makes the world better, if we were all shared the same cultural and religious values it would be a very dull world.
[Reply]
I was unaware of the problems of discrimination until I studied abroad this past summer in Rome. Africans and Bangladeshi immigrants have been populating the country more and more as of recent times. These people were here illegally but most officials turned the other cheek towards them. It was hard to go anywhere in Rome without being bombarded by these immigrants selling something. Granted that it was annoying, these immigrants are still people. If they approached me trying to sell me something, I'd tell them that I was not interested and that was the end of it. Italians seemed to get more annoyed than the other students that I was with (which is understandable because they are used to it I'm sure), but I saw Italian storeowners treat these people worse than animals. I was in a bar and a Bangladeshi man came in trying to sell roses. The bar owner cursed angrily at the man and threw water on him. The man just sort of accepted it. I think that I felt more hurt than he did.
It's unsettling to see racism so prevalent in a country that I hold in such high regards. I'm Italian by heritage and I've played soccer throughout my entire life. My favorite team is Juventus, a team based out of Turin with an abundance of fans from the south of Italy. Mohammad Sissoko, a Ghanaian player on their team is constantly discriminated against by not only other fans but those of his own team as well. The discrimination is not limited to Juventus though. Mario Balotelli, an Italian citizen of Ghanaian descent has experienced some of the worst discrimination in the history of Italian soccer, primarily from Juventus fans. It escalated this past spring when the two teams were forced to play in an empty stadium because of the degree of hatred expressed by these fans. It is really disheartening to see such a beautiful game destroyed by ignorance. It is so taboo here because of our history with slavery, but it is not uncommon in Europe. My grandmother was from Italy and she was always prejudice to an extent. Italy has always been a white (olive) skinned country primarily, but there has been African blood flowing through it for nearly all of history, especially in the south, where my grandmother was born. It is certainly prevalent in older generations, but this is not an excuse. I do not often think of Americans as more intelligent than Europeans (in general), but Italy, Spain, and the rest of Europe needs to recognize this problem if they wish to coexist in the future. I hope that this summer's World Cup being in Africa, albeit South Africa has an effect on the problems of racism in the game. Soccer is meant to be a universal sport, without the problem of racism, hopefully we can all enjoy it equally.
[Reply]
Although this video was an eye opener for me, it didn't really shock me as much as I feel it did for other people. This is not to say that I am a racist, or was have a racist family, or that I'm from a racist town. One of my good friends is black, my family is not racist, and my hometown is Brooklyn which is a very diverse place. However, I think it is completely ignorant of people to think that racism still doesn't exist and act shocked when a video like this appears.
In regards to the video, it was more of an eye opener that this is prevalent in such a big thing such as professional soccer and how it may affect the World Cup. Its pretty well known that some racism still exists in certain parts of the country, and more so in other parts of the world. But when you think of this kind of racism you think of it more as a behind the closed doors, on the low kind of thing. This however is out in the open amongst a large population of people and it has to be an act that is generally considered to accepted, since it has yet to be stopped. For a part of the world that is considered culturally and socially on pace or ahead of the rest of the world, it reflects very poorly on them.
If this kind of action would ever happen at an NFL or NBA game, it would be considered front page news and quickly be taken care of by league commissioners. I don't understand how a person could be at sporting event, hear the person next to them yelling out obscene racial terms, and just turn the other cheek. Same with someone bringing a sign that demeans a players race. Its just unacceptable.
If there was ever a video of a coach motivating one of his own white players to try to outdo another black player simply because the player was black, the coach would either immediately face termination or be forced to resign. You have to set an example as the head authoritarian of any team, and the coach that talked about Thierry Henry like that is despicable.
As for the changes proposed by the FIFA president, I'm not sure how they can work. He stated that at the World Cup if this is occurred there would be points docked off teams in the standings. However, they said that opposing teams could flip this strategy so the wrong team gets docked for points. I'm not sure what they can do besides adapt more of a security policy and stricter punishments for those who are caught doing this. For example, a repeat time offender should be put on a list to never be able to attend a sporting event for the rest of his life. For die hard soccer fans, this is something to be extremely scared of.
Hopefully this problem can be solved soon, and the World Cup wont be effected with racism, as so many other things in the world are.
[Reply]
It is crazy to think that just four years ago such ugly events were occurring publicly in sports. Racism obviously still exists and there will always be horrible and evil people but its hard for me as an American to imagine fans whether of the same or opposing team show such hatred towards players because of skin color. While I do think you will be more likely to find racism in Europe and countries other than the United States I don’t think that this means that the United States is necessarily the perfect place and rid of horrible peoples and backwards thinking. In the United States we make sure that our appearances are acceptable to society or that we sugar coat the original message we were trying to say so that it does not seem the way it actually is. The United States has a large focus on censoring and being politically correct. So while when you go to a Big Ten football game or a Major League Baseball game you are pretty safe from having to observe such obscene events that occurred at some of the soccer games in Europe four years ago, it does not mean that such evil thoughts don’t exist or that racism is extinct. There are still a large number of groups, which support white supremacy and Ku Klux Klan or Nazi ideology. Most of these people are bred from ignorance and thus more likely to be located in smaller towns and outside cities in which case they are less publicized and less likely to show up in the media. But to give the United States some more credit, the fact that we do censor things and hide them better does help impressionable minds who if they saw certain actions may have tried to repeat them or think that it a certain people should be blamed for whatever reason their lives are not as happy as they want them to be. We also have the luxury to not have stadiums polluted with people who are publicly racist. You can take your family to a game without hearing racial slurs or inappropriate phrases aside from some swearing. I still agree that Europe has more racist people than here but I do not think that it is as polar as is represented through television since we do a better job of hiding certain things. Reasons for Europe tending to be more ignorant about race and tolerance is probably due to the fact that there are many more different nationalities, cultures, and ethnic groups concentrated in the same amount of land in which we have our entire country. While the Eagles may be rivals with the Giants, people from Pennsylvania do not hate people from New York as neighboring European countries might. Also in America we have a more diverse assortment of people than the average European country due to how our country was formed from many immigrants. We are not caught off guard when we see someone who looks different than us. I don’t think that Europe will remain how it currently is forever, but that it is just behind America in terms of the tolerance learning curve.
[Reply]
It breaks my heart to read such a thing. All of the players have the same skill, the same talent. Even though they have worked just as hard as everyone else to achieve the things they have, they are still subjected to the open racism and hate of ignorant people.
I think is it such a disrespectful thing to call someone a "monkey" because of their skin color. In light of the video shown in class, "we are all monkeys." So, who gives anyone the right to place themselves above others. We are all the same. I try to stress this ideal in every aspect of my life. Discrimination in general is a social crime, but racism is discrimination to the extreme. I think people separate themselves from others to boost their own low self esteem.
I fully agreed when the announcer said: "American might find it difficult to understand how and why there are so many overt displays of racism in european soccer," because I did find it hard to believe. I am pretty sure that there are plenty of racists in the United States, of any race. But, it is usually hidden because it is frowned upon. Apparently that is not the case for the World. I was very astonished to hear such news, because I have never heard of any blatant acts of racism in this day and age.
I guess it is natural for people to be "in denial" as Piara Power states it. No political leader wants to have a country full of racist citizens, so they act as if there is not a problem with thoughts like "what problem? I don't see a problem" or "it's only a few individuals."
When it comes to judging people, I do so by their character. It would be a lie for me to say that I do not judge. But I do not judge because of skin color. I have been the victim of racism in many cases, either directly, indirectly, or accidentally. So, I feel for these players. I do not think I could imagine the same pain they are suffering, because my cases are not that extreme at all.
I also believe that it is very common to try to dismiss a problem as "not that serious." The coach of the Spanish National Team tried to run a correlation between racism and the discrimination of blacks. It is not the same at all. As Piara Power said "we've never had in this country, or in other nations, people being killed or maimed in the street because they are fat."
I would hope that one day European nations would refrain from that type of behavior. They are going to feel how they feel, even if it is fully ignorant. But, all people should be treated with the same respect.
[Reply]
While I'm disgusted by these displays of racism throughout European football stadiums, I'm also not surprised. One of the many things living in Italy taught me is the passion Italians (and all Europeans for that matter) have for the sport of soccer and the devotion they hold for their favorite team. Fans go the whole nine yards to put down the opposing team, screaming so loudly and violently you'd expect the veins to burst out of their foreheads. No wonder riots between fan bases are so common! Fans will find anything and everything to scream about their opponents no matter what. In these cases, they pick out the most obvious distinctive factor of the team- it's black player. It's very very talented black player. Which gives them even more reason to target him because to distract him from playing his best is their top priority. I think the key point of this whole situation is that racial diversity is so different in all of Europe than compared to the US, which was mentioned in the video. Speaking derogatively about dark skinned people is not taboo as it is to us, because our histories of racial tolerance are so vastly different.
[Reply]
Before watching this video about the racism involved in European soccer, I had never heard anything about it. I was disgusted at the treatment of the fans and coaches towards the players and I am shocked that barely anything has been done to change it. The idea that these men must go out and put all their effort into winning the game while having bananas thrown at them is outrageous and needs to end. The fans of the team should have nothing but pride for the players on the field and be completely respectful.
I feel that I am most shocked because this only shows the high level of blatant racism that still remains in Europe altogether. I know that obviously racism is a huge problem in the United States as well, but to see something so drastic in such a civilized area is crazy to me.
Sporting events to me represent a part of a nation. It brings people together and collects a lot of profit and gives people many jobs. Seeing these disgusting actions makes me think differently about these countries and the people that live there. How can they feel that what they are doing is okay? In such a modern society, how can they continue to be so close-minded?
Although I think the ideas of punishing the team for the actions of their fans will help to begin solving the problem I think more needs to be done. I feel that there should be large punishments for those who choose to partake in these activities and should be thrown out and not allowed to come to future games. It needs to be made clear that these actions will not be tolerated and those who feel that it is okay are punished severely.
What makes me upset is I still believe that racism will only continue. It is hard to change the mind of people who are so close-minded because it is difficult to educate them in a way that they will both listen and apply it to their own lives.
I feel that the commercials that were produced by Nike had a big impact and I feel that they were powerful. These commercials introduced the issue and allowed those suffering to really speak out. I feel that if the true fans care about their teams whether the black players are on their team or not they will stand up for them because they love game. There are many people in this world who are obsessed with sports especially soccer. These people must realize that this puts the entire sport and all those involved in a bad light that they must change. I think many more of these commercials should be put out and I think they should make sure that the penalty initiatives are put into place and taken very seriously.
This needs to be addressed and must be done today. Racism is everywhere and as human beings coexisting in one world we must be the change.
[Reply]
Maybe its time that we started focusing on problems like this that are still going on. Especially on a professional sport TV channel. When children see this what does this teach them? The same thing and this is how history repeats itself. Hopefully the new system they are trying works out because soccer is a major sport in Europe.
I visited Europe a couple of times and never saw any type of racism. Maybe because I was in major tour sites only. I am actually happy I live in America because even with our flaws we are still more culture acceptable. This is why so many migrate here, so they can get a chance and an opportunity in life. I couldn't imagine being at a football or basketball game and people are screaming out all kind or racial slurs and throwing things like bananas on the field or court. After watching that video I wondered if any black people even attend these soccer games.
[Reply]
The waving of the Nazi sign was what shocked me the most. I wonder what kind of messages they are trying to send or what they are trying to move. I would feel so threatened to be in such an environment where I can't openly go watch a soccer match. The people of Europe need to think about uniting instead on insulting people so much, especially the people who play for there favorite sport
[Reply]
That was upsetting to watch, but necessary. We must understand and talk about injustices that are going on around the world. It is very upsetting that people can be so hurtful to others because of ignorance. It is unsettling that these injustices occur in the most popular sport in Europe, and that people seem to follow blindly. It was shocking to see even an Italian footballer would not be fined or indefinitely suspended after his neo-Nazi behavior. Despite the fact that the league is moving in good direction through education, I believe they can do more. Addressing the players and league is a good step, however the root of the problem does not seem to be with the players or league, but rather the fans. More of the players could come out against the racist slurs and condemn the fans. But it should not be tolerated at the games. It is easy to sit back and do nothing, but the league officials should hold themselves to a higher standard, especially because the games are broadcasted internationally. To allow fans to commit these atrocities is to perpetuate ignorant ideals. Fans too could take action against other racist fans, but I believe the league need to set a bolder example. They could create a clause in the player contracts to prohibit such behaviors. They could create a clause for ticket holders/consumers. The best way to get to people is financially. Although it may seem petty, people respond to consequences, especially financial consequences. Freedom of speech is an honored tradition, however certain venues must hold themselves to a standard which promotes equality. I cannot imagine having an entire stadium chanting racist slurs to a talented player. It makes me sick to my stomach to think this has occurred. It also makes me angry to think it has taken so long for people to take action. Why have the other team players not jumped in during the game and suggested to pause the game. That would be a bold statement, “We will not play to intolerant fans.” What needs to happen is unity through education and tolerance. Tolerance does not mean to love everyone, but accept a human as a fellow member of mankind. We must understand that people are just people. By chance you look, act, feel and think the way you do. We are all the same inside, I know that sounds cliché, but it’s true. Why am I here, instead of in a third world country? There is no answer to that question, it is chance. What makes us all so different? The things that these racist slurs attack are physical features. It is hypocritical and ignorant. Perhaps racism will never be abolished. What must be realized is, we’re all just people. It’s a lot more productive to unite in tolerance than built imaginary lines that divide mankind and breed hate.
[Reply]
I am so surprised that this issue is still going on in the world especially on a sports team. Its really sad actually that people pride themselves into supporting a team, but they cant support someone who is not of color that they agree with. I mean are we in the 1950’s? There are NFL and NBA players that are majority black, and on the other side of the world that’s not okay? WOW. I think that’s its completely utterly bogus, and speaking from someone of color I totally disagree with this coach, and the ill supporters of this famous soccer player.
[Reply]
It is really sad to witness how ignorant people can be. I hate how certain people think of themselves as above others because of a specific race or social standing. We are all people. We all have feelings. We all have gone through life changing experiences. It is so hard to accept the fact that there are human beings out there that can treat people with such hatred. It reminds me of when we started having black baseball players in the Major Leagues. I read about stories where fans would throw things at the black players and would even stop going to games all together. It is sad that this type of thing is still happening today.
[Reply]
If nothing else, this was an incredible and eye opening video about racism in the 'beautiful' sport. What I think is so special about this article is that it deals with sports and racism. Racism is undoubtedly one of the ugliest and most hurtful things on the planet, and is always ahrd to deal with, touchy, and very controversial. What i love, however, is that sports transcend racism and bring humans, both the players and fans, together in ways that arent normal. It is a bridge between old and youn, black and white, rich and poor. ESPN has evolved into not just a sports channel for guys and sports geeks, but into a prominent news channel that tackles tough topics, like racism, in ways that other mediums cant. This was an extrmemly powerful and eye opening article because it is something that we are not familiar with. Although racism is definitely in America, it is never as blatant as in Europe. I cant even imagine if fans for the NFL or NBA treated atheletes the way that Europeans treat their own players. I know that racism exists, but living in America it is hard to see such blatant and public racism.
[Reply]
While this may seem backward, in reality Europe is a completely different place with different cultures and ideas. As an American, i am born to be extremely set on my ideals, for better or worse, so when i see this, I am immediately diguested. I dont understand how this is permitted to happen in this current ay and age. But before i jump to conclusions and call europe racist, i have to realize that every culture is different, and doesnt share the same viewpoints as we do in America. Although we are definitely not perfect, the civil rights movement and such have led us in a direction towards equality. While we asre not there yet, we have made signicant progress to the point where such blatant acts, especially in the public sphere, would not be tolerated in this country. I think that this point in general is a great point, one that we as Americans should celebrate as a push in the right direction regarding racism. We understand that is unfair, hurtful, degrading, and wrong, and are moving in the right direction towards equality.
[Reply]
I'm amazed that legislation in these countries hasn't gone through making this sort of hate-practice illegal. When I was in Ireland this summer, I found that it was illegal to call a gypsy, a sort of vagabond who lives off of other people's money who is usually synonymous with a thief, is no longer allowed to be called a gypsy. Those who disobey are sent to jail. Soccer has historically had the most insane fans of any sport, and you can never stop it all, but something laid in place like laws might help to curb it. It isn't preventing freedom of speech, it is stopping the irrationality and harm that occurs at riots like this.
[Reply]
It is amazing to me that in 2010 we are still dealing with such blatant racism. Before reading the article I was aware that there were far right wing groups in europe, however I was not aware that these groups expressed there "opinions" in soccer stadiums. I really feel sorry for the players who have to deal with those idiots. Being an athlete, I can definitely see how racist chants could get in a players head and throw them off their game. It is really unbelievable to me that nothing has been done about this problem thus far. Its not like drastic measures are needed to help solve this problem. Simply don't let people in with signs or loudspeakers. This would probably cut the problem in half. I do think that fifa is taking a step in the right direction. The president really took a hard stance when he said that he would stop playing in a stadium whose fans were representing racist behavior. I think its steps like this that will help to curb the problem. I really hope that the president backs up his big statements. This problem is long overdue and needs to be addressed asap. Its unfortunate that we have to deal with these problems in 2010, but hopefully it is the beginning of the end.
[Reply]
Watching this is so infuriating. It is so sad that this amount of racism still exists in the world. I do not understand how you think you would be justified to boo someone that does not look like you. I could never wrap my mind around racism. What makes you hate someone who has a different skin color? What did they do to you? Why would you dislike someone with different shaped eyes? I really do not understand where these discrimination come from. I think that this class will open people's eyes to help beat racism. I only wish more people were able to have the opportunity.
[Reply]
This video really shocked me. I had no idea that this even went on in football stadiums in Europe. It is unbelievable that even players as high ranked and highly respected as Henry are being called racial slurs. I did not even think of it in the sense that there was no equivalent to a civil war in Europe, I just thought something like not screaming racial comments in the middle of a sport would be more along the lines of common sense or just plain morals. I wouldn’t call myself a huge Football fan, but since my boyfriend is a die hard Manchester United fan, I have seen my fair share of European football games, but I have never seen these antics, I’m sure because they are blocked out by ESPN or wherever I am watching them from. I am shocked that between my boyfriend and the fact that this took place more than four years ago that this is the first I am hearing about it.
Racism is still obviously a huge issue, but I thought it was bad in the United States. I had no idea that in other areas of the world it is so much worse. It is appalling to see such an outward disregard for a human being. It is disgusting that someone would even think to do something as ludicrous as throwing a banana at Kameni, or yelling “monkey” in the middle of a national sporting event. I understand football fans and I understand how much the game means to them, but this behavior is absolutely ridiculous. I go to sporting events in New York all the time and I always thought those fans were out of control and hardcore, and they do not even compare to European fans. I still cannot believe what I heard on this video. Even though this video was made 4 years ago, I have looked up other articles and videos on this, and these antics are still going on today. How is it that this was not stopped years ago? I don’t blame Henry one bit for how he reacted to those people. I do not think I would have been able to hold out as long as he did.
Even worse was seeing a professional make these comments to try and “amp” up his own team. How can people expect fans to behave and not yell these degrading things when a coach is using words that are worse than what half the fans are saying? It is an awful display of sportsmanship and it is really disappointing to see. I hope that if by now nothing is in place for unruly fans, that they start talking about it in the near future because it is truly horrible.
[Reply]
It is appalling to me that such racism still exists today in Europe. I realize that this video and these posts are most likely now stereo-typing all Europeans and I understand that that is a wrong assumption. But I feel that the fact that this happens in Europe and is allowed to happen in Europe says a lot about the country in general. It is not normal for such things to still occur in modern-day times. Although this may not be the mindset of all of the people from Europe, it still reflects on their progress as a country. It is a very antiquated thing to do and way to act if a professional sports player is of color and he is not being looked at for his abilities on the field but for the color of his skin. I think that that alone says a ton about the country as a whole. Imagine if Michael Jordan walked onto the basketball court and everyone started booing and throwing things and chanting monkey…you can't imagine it because it would never happen in the United States. Ever. The focus of our sports players is on their skill not the color of their skin. The idea that sports player's genes are more important to their fans than whether they can play good soccer is almost unfathomable. I went to a high school that was pretty close to fifty-fifty in terms of people of color vs. white people. I, being white and raised in a family that doesn't see race but what's inside of people, enjoyed every minute of it and in sports the majority of our teams were people of color. I've grown up watching people of different ethnicities and backgrounds play sports and I've never known anything different than to cheer for them just like they were any other player on the team…because although it may be a shock to some, but that's all they are is another player on the court, or on the field, or on the mat, or in the locker room. The fact that this is occurring an ocean away from where I've grown up and lived my entire life leads me to believe that we as a culture, no matter where you go, have not matured and seen past things that are over and done with. Our world needs to grow up and realize that people come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. I hope that in the last four years this issue has had some resolve but the pessimist in me tells me that it has not (and also Sam Richards has told me that it has not.) If someone is a good player, that should be all that people worry about. The color of a person's skin does not affect the way they play or the image that they give for a team.
[Reply]
I can’t believe how many years behind in the civil rights movement Europe is in comparison to the United States, which is not saying much. Not only is it years behind, but it is also extremely hateful. These acts by European soccer players are more inappropriate and uncalled for than actions committed by American fans over 50 years ago. It baffles me how far behind Europe’s culture is, especially since everything in society today is global and international.
As a Jets fan I have been to my fair share of football games and have heard my fair share of slurs, chants, and obscenities. It was so bad in the late 1990’s that my dad wouldn’t bring me to Jets games because he felt that it wasn’t appropriate. But nothing that is comparable to things I have heard said about African soccer players. Everything from bananas being thrown on the field at them to chants of go back to Africa. Most recently I heard a story about a player named Emmanuel Adebayor. He played soccer for a team in England and while on that team he said he was harassed by his own fans for being black. His own fans! He was recently traded to another team because of these problems. It is unbelievable that fans can do such horrendous things to players let alone to players of their own team.
Many of America’s professional as well as collegiate teams and programs deal with more minor and less drastic forms of racism. I feel that this is most noticeable with not just athletes but more regularly with coaches. Many people including reporters, coaches, and the general public, feel that African American coaches do not get an equal look and opportunity as the white coaches. Many felt that this was such an alarming issue and as a result, the NFL passed the “Rooney Rule”. The rule requires teams to interview minority coaches for head coaching opportunities as well as other higher positions in a franchise.
Another problem that American sports face is the recruiting process. Not simply in big schools but throughout the NCAA. Kids face discrimation based on religion or ethnic background. Even though athletics in the United States is making moves in the right direction, this is still an ongoing problem that needs to end.
In a world that had always pushed acceptance and peace it is a shame that in such an innocent venue as sports people still display such cruel behavior. It is not only a bad image for sports in general, but it is a shame that young fans and players have to see such behavior. Sports are meant to build character not break it down. I hope someday we can all live in a world were people are accepted for who they are.
[Reply]
This video is pretty eye opening to what really is going on in the world we live in. Everyone thinks that racism is not that big of an issue or has become a very small scale issue that is not prevalent. This definitely proves different. It is so hard to believe that this still occurs in such a fashion even after seeing the images for yourself. I think that the most shocking part of this is where it occurs. Who would think that long developed Europe would be the location for such outrageous and large displays of public and profound racism? I certainly did not expect this from Europe, let alone soccer fans. I mean soccer is probably the largest and most diverse sport in the world and is known to fans everywhere. Some of the best soccer clubs and players come from Northern Africa, as well as South and Central America. Obviously the largest following of soccer as well as the most prominent teams reside in Europe, but I do not understand how the fans could even care about the color of a player’s skin. Some of the best players in the English leagues are of color or darker complexion.
I think the thing that really startles me the most about the video was the images of Nazi flags, the throwing of bananas and the comments that fans were making. The fact that it was occurring wasn’t the most surprising thing ever but the nature of what was going on and that no one was doing anything to stop it was probably the most startling. I mean you think that people would have learned from their past and not even have the nerve to display something such as the Nazi flag. I think that the people acting like this aren’t worth the players’ time who they are incriminating. I mean the individuals who are acting like this are obviously not talented enough to do what these players do so what does it even matter what they think. The act of throwing bananas on the field of play to incriminate an African is not even funny. It is truly childish to even do something like that in public. I mean don’t they teach these people sportsmanship? You see fans act stupid every now and again in the United States by throwing cups or foam fingers, maybe yell at a player, but never to this extent. They would be ejected from the stadium as soon as they even acted out and never allowed to return again, probably for life. FIFA needs to take some notes from other sporting organizations and learn how to control their fans and their players. These people are just a total disgrace to humanity as a whole. I think the only animals are the people who act like this. The players they call monkeys and treat like this are very humane and are the farthest thing from animals. I really hope that things improve especially with the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. I would actually love to see those individuals come into their stadium and act like that. Wonder what would happen to them there?
[Reply]
Let me start by saying that before I watched this video, I had little to no idea how racist some of the European soccer fans really are. The fact that they actually throw bananas at black players is absolutely appalling. I'm not saying that that the United States of America is perfect or has had the perfect past when it comes to racism, all you have to do is ask your grandfather or grandmother about how African Americans were treated when they were growing up to see that. With that said, Europeans really need to take a good long hard look at themselves and at what they're doing to the players on the field. I mean, I understand that most Europeans take a lot of pride in their cultures and in their countries, but at some point you have to be open to some sort of change.
I think that what the FIFA President and organization is doing is a step in the right direction, but more severe precautions should be taken against such pure discrimination at soccer matches. Players shouldn't have to be subjected to such things as bananas being thrown onto the field, racist chants and signs of hatred such as the swastika. I just hope in time that changes are made for the sake of the players.
[Reply]
Alright as a follow futbol player a person who as meet Carlos kameni, and he is a wonderful soul that i will never understand why he takes this kind of abuse from his fans. He is the captain of the squad on some matches and to have that kind of hated to go against as well as the other team is extremely hard. People take Futbol as a joke, and this is a extremely upsetting to me. This is the Beautiful game that i have been playing since I could walk. As you can see in these clippings that the sport is stronger than just a sport. It has the power to start and stop wars. It has the ability to justify a man, a team, or a country. As far as the racism on the field, I have known about this for so long. It may not be as prevalent here in the United States, just because its not televised does not mean it does not exist. and i hope this is a rude awaking for many of the people here. It just goes to show that we are not the only country that faces racism. and that there is racism out there still at a far larger scale. For the players out there, I hope one day i can stand with you and fight this embarrassing form of culture that should never be associated with futbol.
As far as the fans are concerned, i am glad President Sepp Blatter is willing to go as far as canceling the tournament i South Africa. I hope that the nations there will not be as crazy as we have just seen them. I wish and hope to see more stronger levels of punishments for the teams and fans. But I feel like this is just the beginning. The need to start off with the culture and explain to them this is not a good way to express love for there clubs. It has to start somewhere for these people. And if that means not playing or not allowing tickets to be sold to them, then so be it. It would rather watch AMERICAN FOOTBALL then have to listen about this kind of racism.
Futbol is sport of Honor, Passion, Strength, and Loyalty. None of these should ever be in the same area, let alone the same sentence of racism. People that play the beautiful game should be honored if they reach a professional level and should never have to be put this type of war. Everyone that plays futbol is of equal value. HERE in State College this is a universal language, and is how i meet so many of the international students. I hope this is settled soon and I hope it never happens here.
[Reply]