THE UGLY FACE OF FOOTBALL: 12 RECENT RACIST INCIDENTS IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL

A nationwide manhunt began this week as British police have released images of three men accused of racism after last week’s Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. The three were seen on video pushing a black man off of the metro platform then singing ‘We’re racist, and that’s the way we like it.’ But racism is a problem across the continent, and AFKSports has compiled a slideshow of twelve recent racist incidents in European football.

1. Samuel Eto’o Has Enough Against Zaragoza

When Barcelona visited Zaragoza in February 2005, home fans tormented FC Barcelona’s Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o. Whenever he touched the ball. Eto’o was met with a chorus of monkey hooting. After the break Eto’o had enough, walking off the pitch, yelling ‘No Mas!’, (‘no more’ in Spanish). Several players impeded Eto’o’s path and implored him to continue, which he reluctantly did.

2. Chelsea Fans Racism

Last week a group of rowdy Chelsea fans pushed a black man off of the metro station and sung ‘We’re racist, and that’s the way we like it.’  Scotland Yard are now reviewing footage of the incident and are seeking out the names of three culprits who are facing life-bans from Stamford Bridge.

3. John Terry Calls Anton Ferdinand A ‘Black C*nt’

John Terry is one of England’s best ever defenders, but his international career ended in disgrace, after calling then QPR defender Anton Ferdinand a ‘f**king black c**t’. Ferdinand took legal action, and though the Chief Magistrate admitted Terry used the spiteful words, the Chelsea captain was found not guilty of racial abuse. The English FA then opened a different case against Terry and suspended the player for four matches, which prompted his retirement.

4. Beitar Jerusalem Fans Torch Office

In February of 2013, Beitar Jerusalem fans torched the club offices after two Muslim Chechens signed with the Israeli club. Trophies and memorabilia were destroyed in the blaze caused by a molotov cocktail. Beitar are infamously known for being the only team in Israel yet to have signed Muslim player.

5. Dani Alves Eats A Banana
Dani Alves might be credited with cleverest reaction to racist abuse in a football match. Last April the Brazilian defender had a banana thrown at him. Instead of reacting angrily, Alves picked up the fruit and took a big bite. Alves was lauded for his intelligence and he instantly became an internet sensation as footballers from around the globe took photos of themselves eating bananas and using the hashtag: ‘We are all monkeys’.

6. Luis Aragones Calls Thierry Henry A Black Sh*t

In 2004, the late former Spanish coach Luis Aragones walked up to Jose Antonio Reyes and told the former Arsenal forward to tell ‘that black sh*t you are much better than him’. UEFA fined the Spanish Football Federation 100,000 Swiss Francs, which many deemed a lenient sanction.

7. Zenit St. Petersburg Fans Write Letter To Club

In late 2012 Zenit St. Petersburg’s most notorious fan club issued an open letter to their club, demanding that the squad reflect Russian or Slavic values. The group insisted they were not racist, but would take issue with the signing of any black or gay players as that would compromise the integrity of the city and club.

8. Marco Zoro Nearly Leaves Pitch With The Ball

When Messina played Inter Milan in 2005,  Ivorian defender Marco Zoro tried to leave the pitch with the ball in his hands after enduring endless racist taunting from Inter fans. Players from both teams intervened, including Inter’s strike duo Obafemi Martins and Adriano. A five-minute anti-racism display was shown around stadiums in Italy slightly delaying the next round of matches around Serie A.

9. Mario Balotelli Not Accepted In Italy

Though he is one of Italian football’s bona fide superstars, many Italians have never quite accepted Mario Balotelli as one of their own. The worst incident came in 2009 against Juventus, when Balotelli was subjected to taunts so abusive the Bianconeri played their following match behind closed doors. Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli condemned the chants.”On behalf of Juventus and the great majority of our fans I want to strongly condemn the racist chanting against Inter Milan’s Mario Balotelli.”

10. Yaya Toure Abused In Champions League Match Against CSKA Moscow

Some of the best players in the world are racially abused, as was proved when Yaya Toure was the target of monkey chants in the Russian capital. CSKA Moscow’s stadium was partially closed, and several players – including Toure – suggested Russia be stripped of the 2018 World Cup if the problem of racism is not dealt with.

11. Malky Mackay Sends Racist Text Messages

After leaving Cardiff City in 2013, Malky Mackay was in the running for the Crystal Palace job, until leaked racist text messages between himself and Iain Moody surfaced. Mackay and Moody called Cardiff midfield Kim Bo-Kyung ‘chinky’ and joked that there was ‘enough dogs in Cardiff for us all to go around’. The English League Managers Association commented on the conversations claiming they were but ‘banter’.

12. Luis Suarez Calls Patrice Evra ‘Negrito’

In yet another heated match between Manchester United vs. Liverpool, Luis Suarez was accused of racially abusing Patrice Evra. The Uruguayan called Evra ‘negrito’ which is a term of endearment in South America, but literally means ‘little black man’. The English FA banned Suarez a total of eight matches and fined him forty-thousand pounds.