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[PICTURES/VIDEOS] Racism in football

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Abdullah719

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Leonardo Bonucci insists Moise Kean must take “50-50 of the blame” after being racially abused by Cagliari fans in Juventus’ 2-0 victory.

The 19-year-old Italian was subjected to monkey chants throughout the contest, but after scoring the second goal at the Sardegna Arena he celebrated in front of the home fans to intensify the abuse.

Team-mate Blaise Matuidi was also taunted, but Bonucci incredibly partially blamed his young team-mate for the episode.

“Kean knows that when he scores a goal, he has to focus on celebrating with his teammates. He knows he could’ve done something differently too,” Bonucci told Sky Sport Italia.

“There were racist jeers after the goal, Blaise heard it and was angered. I think the blame is 50-50, because Moise shouldn’t have done that and the Curva should not have reacted that way.

“We are professionals, we have to set the example and not provoke anyone.

“I prefer to talk about the great performance. We were aggressive on the wings, as we knew they could cause problems with crosses.

“We knew Cagliari do zonal marking and leave that gap open, so we’d practiced in training yesterday and it worked out perfectly.”

Captain Giorgio Chiellini led the protests to referee Piero Giacomelli, while Cagliari captain Luca Ceppitelli pleaded with his supporters to stop the abuse.

Kean hit out at his abusers on social media after the game posting a picture of himself celebrating his goal with the following message: “The best way to respond to racism #NoToRacism.”

While he also posted a tweet with a finger to lips emoji.

Massimiliano Allegri also criticised Kean for the manner of his celebration before condemning the crowd for their actions.

“He shouldn’t have celebrated in that manner,” Allegri said.

“He is a young man and he has to learn, but certain things from the crowd also shouldn’t be heard.”

“You need great intelligence to deal with these situations and should not go to provoke people. That, of course, does not mean the idiots in the crowd and the way they reacted should be justified,” the Juventus boss said.

“As always in life, there are idiots who do stupid things and ruin it for everyone else.

“I don’t think talking about it all the time helps. I don’t think halting play helps, because not everyone in the stadium did that.

“We need to use the cameras, find those who are doing it and punish them. It’s very simple, identify them and not one-year ban or two, just give them a lifetime ban.

“We’ve got the technology, it can be done if the authorities want to. The problem is, they don’t really want to.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...-esultanza-racist-abuse-serie-a-a8852001.html
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“How do you feel about racist chants from fans towards one of your teammates?”<br><br>Leonardo Bonucci: <a href="https://t.co/0xvWwJ74RC">pic.twitter.com/0xvWwJ74RC</a></p>— The Cooligans (@SoccerCooligans) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoccerCooligans/status/1113250340202217472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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I had to do a google search to find out who Bonucci was, because in that article it's not really clear. Incredibly it seems the player being abused is his own team mate. If you are a fan of mob shows like Godfather or the Sopranos, then you would have some idea that Italians can be quite racist. I am not sure if that is reflected in day to day life over there, it would be useful if we had some contributors who were based in Italy who could expand on it.
 
Raheem Sterling leads criticism after Bonucci says Kean '50-50' to blame for racist abuse

Raheem Sterling led the condemnation of Juventus’s Leonardo Bonucci after the Italian defender claimed the blame for the racist abuse aimed at his teammate Moise Kean in Cagliari was “50-50”.

“All you can do now is laugh,” wrote Sterling on Instagram in response to Bonucci’s comments, which came after Juve’s teenage forward Kean was subjected to racist abuse by Cagliari fans during a 2-0 win in which Kean scored the second goal. Lyon forward Memphis Depay echoed Sterling’s point in a tweet to Bonucci that said: “I am disappointed in your reaction … We will not be quiet! #SayNoToRacism.”

After scoring, Kean – who was born in Italy to Ivorian parents – turned to the home fans and folded his arms. In response, Cagliari’s supporters made the noise which is described by Italian media as “buu” and is regarded as a racist insult in Italian football. Monkey noises could also be clearly heard among the crowd.

Juve’s midfielder Blaise Matuidi protested furiously to the referee and at one point appeared to threaten to walk off. The Frenchman complained last year that he was subject to racist abuse at the same stadium and Cagliari later apologised. Play was halted for around three minutes and a warning was broadcast to the crowd – the first step in the so-called three-step procedure which ultimately leads to the teams being led off the field.

Yet Bonucci criticised Kean, his 19-year-old teammate, for his reaction. According to Football Italia, the defender said: “Kean knows that when he scores a goal, he has to focus on celebrating with his teammates. He knows he could’ve done something differently too.

“There were racist jeers after the goal, Blaise [Matuidi] heard it and was angered. I think the blame is 50-50, because Moise shouldn’t have done that and the Curva should not have reacted that way. We are professionals, we have to set the example and not provoke anyone.”

Cagliari’s president Tommaso Giulini also took a less-than-enlightened view of the incident, claiming any Juventus player would have been treated the same as Kean following his goal.

“I don’t want people to start being self-righteous about it, because I heard that already,” Giulini said according to Football Italia, “whereas Juventus players came to me afterwards and confessed Kean was wrong to celebrate that way.

“We cannot go around calling the entire Cagliari crowd offensive things. If there were racist jeers, then our fans got it wrong, but it happened because of the celebration and would’ve happened even if the goalscorer had a different colour of skin.”

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...cci-says-kean-50-50-to-blame-for-racist-abuse
 
Leonardo Bonucci "expressed himself badly" in reacting to racist abuse suffered by Moise Kean, Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has said.

Kean, 19, was a target of racist chants at Cagliari with captain Bonucci saying the player's goal celebration meant he was partly to blame.

But Allegri said: "With his mind still on the game, post-match, he expressed himself badly.

"He realised this and apologised. These two things are distinct."

Allegri added: "Racism must always be fought and is never justifiable."

Of his suggestion the striker was in any way to blame for the abuse he suffered, Bonucci later stated he was "clearly misunderstood" and was "too hasty" in his comments.

The chants aimed at Italy international Kean prompted controversy in the country, with national team manager Roberto Mancini describing it as "intolerable" and calling for "tough" action against racism.

Cagliari chairman Tommaso Giulini issued a statement calling for "commitment, culture and initiatives" in order to tackle racism in the game.

"Racism is always to be condemned even in all its infinitesimal forms," said Giulini.

The incident came eight days after England players including Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose faced racist abuse during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Montenegro.

Tottenham's Rose has since said he "can't wait to see the back of football" and criticised the lenient punishment of racism in the game.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said the club had "changed" approach in tackling the problem, with a focus on education rather than banning supporters, while several Premier League managers have said they would be prepared to halt a game if their players were subjected to racist abuse.

Troy Townsend - of anti-racism organisation Kick it Out - told BBC Sport: "I don't think black players have faith that these situations will be dealt with in a manner that will eradicate it. It has been far too long now.

"I think we are really close to players taking the matter into their own hands now and saying 'enough is enough, I will not accept this anymore'. Players have been let down now for far too long."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47825604
 
What an idiot. He's saying that black footballers should nor celebrate like whitw footballers or else be eeqsy to face racial abuse.
 
Italy, Montenegro, Greece. It seems like the further south you go in Europe the more racism you can potentially face.
 
Pakistanian said:
What an idiot. He's saying that black footballers should nor celebrate like whitw footballers or else be eeqsy to face racial abuse.
Click to expand...

It was probably a hasty comment and he has already apologised. But this racism could be a cultural problem in Italy so his comments could also have come from his heart. I see this probably contradict my first sentence but not easy to understand this.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChelseaFC</a> say fans suspected of singing offensive chant on social media video were denied entry to tonight's <a href="https://twitter.com/EuropaLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuropaLeague</a> tie against Slavia Prague. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SSN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SSN</a></p>— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1116427074179358721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Arsenal investigate after Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly allegedly racially abused by fan

Arsenal have launched an investigation after a social media video appeared to show a fan racially abusing Napoli's Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

The supporter can be heard using a racial slur in the video, filmed during Arsenal's 2-0 Europa League quarter-final first-leg win on Thursday.

"We utterly condemn use of this type of racist language," Arsenal said in a statement on Friday.

The club reiterated they have a "zero-tolerance" approach to such behaviour.

"We have launched an investigation to identify the culprit," the statement added.

"We operate a zero-tolerance approach and anyone behaving like this is not welcome at Arsenal and will be banned from matches.

"We have an extremely diverse community of fans who are all part of the Arsenal family and such incidents are rare at the Emirates Stadium.

"We encourage supporters to report any incidents as they happen to stewards or via our matchday alert service."

On Thursday, Chelsea barred three fans from entering Slavia Prague's stadium after video footage showed them calling Liverpool's Mohamed Salah a "bomber".

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47909511
 
West Ham United statement

West Ham United has issued the following statement:

"We are disgusted by the contents of the video circulating on social media on Saturday evening.

"We are taking immediate action to try to identify the offenders, whose details we will be handing over to the police and will be banned for life from London Stadium and from travelling with the Club.

"West Ham United is unequivocal in its stance – there is no place for this kind of behaviour at our Club.

"We do not want people like this associated with West Ham. They are not welcome at our Club, they are not welcome in civilised society."

Read more at https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2019/april/13-april/west-ham-united-statement
 
Professional footballers in England and Wales are to boycott social media for 24 hours on Friday, to protest against the way social networks and football authorities respond to racism.

It follows a number of high-profile incidents in domestic and international matches this season.

Earlier this week, Manchester United captain Ashley Young was racially abused on Twitter.

And Watford captain Troy Deeney said "enough is enough".

"On Friday we are sending a message to anyone that abuses players - or anyone else - whether from the crowd or online, that we won't tolerate it within football," said Deeney, who disabled comments on his Instagram after abuse earlier this month.

"The boycott is just one small step, but the players are speaking out with one voice against racism."

How is football tackling racism on social media?
Racist chanting was directed at several England players including Danny Rose during a Euro 2020 qualifier in Montenegro last month - the Spurs defender later said he "can't wait to see the back of football".

"I don't want any future players to go through what I've been through in my career," said Rose. "Collectively, we are simply not willing to stand by while too little is done by football authorities and social media companies to protect players from this disgusting abuse."

The #Enough campaign, organised by the Professional Footballers' Association, starts at 09:00 BST on Friday and runs until 09:00 BST on Saturday. Players have been encouraged to post a #Enough graphic on their social media platforms before the boycott.

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling added: "The time has come for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to consider regulating their channels, taking responsibility for protecting the mental health of users regardless of age, race, sex or income."

The PFA said the boycott was the "first step in a longer campaign to tackle racism in football".

"The boycott acts as a show of unity by the players, and a call for stronger action to be taken by social networks and footballing authorities in response to racist abuse both on and off the pitch," the PFA said in a statement.

Young was abused after United's Champions League exit to Barcelona on Tuesday. Accounts identified in this case as violating Twitter's abusive behaviour policy have been prevented from posting again until the offending tweets have been removed.

Incidents of racist abuse in 2018-19
December: Banana skin thrown on to the pitch during the north London derby at Emirates Stadium, after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored for Arsenal
December: Raheem Sterling suffers alleged racial abused during Manchester City's defeat at Chelsea. Sterling later says newspapers are helping to "fuel racism" by the ways in which they portray young black footballers
March: Chelsea lodge a complaint with Uefa over racist abuse aimed at Callum Hudson-Odoi during the second leg of their Europa League win at Dynamo Kiev
March: England report racist abuse of players during their 5-1 win over Montenegro in Podgorica
April: Juventus' 19-year-old Italian forward Moise Kean suffers racist abuse from the stands during a match at Cagliari - with team-mate Leonardo Bonucci's suggestion that Kean was partly to blame called laughable by Raheem Sterling
April: Derby winger Duane Holmes and Wigan defender Nathan Byrne are targeted by the alleged racist abuse in the Championship
April: Deeney and Watford team-mates Adrian Mariappa and Christian Kabasele receive racist abuse on social media
April: Young targeted on Twitter

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47982403
 
Raheem Sterling: Manchester City forward wins award for stance against racism

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling said he hopes to set an example for younger players as he received an award for his stance against racism in football.

The England forward has criticised newspapers' portrayal of black players and wants stronger punishments for fans who racially abuse players.

He was honoured at the BT Sport Industry Awards on Thursday.

"When the next generation come through, you have to set the example," the 24-year-old said.

"Coming through at Liverpool I had people around me like Steven Gerrard I looked up to. Looking at him I thought what can I do within myself to be half the person and player he was.

"You take little things and each year, try and develop not just on the field but off it."

Sterling suffered allegedly racist abuse from Chelsea fans during City's 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in December, prompting an Instagram post in which he questioned newspapers' portrayal of black players.

In January, it was revealed he wrote a letter to a young City fan who was racially abused, urging the supporter "stand tall, don't let them take away your courage".

He was also racially abused during England's European Championship qualifier in Montenegro in March, along with international team-mates Danny Rose and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Earlier in April he was hailed as "an iconic British sports star" and "a trailblazer" after being named sportsman of the year at the 2019 British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48060828
 
raheem sterling is a strong guy, hes got a lot of flack, some with racial undertones, and some overtly racist and he takes it in his stride. hes a good example of how to stand up for what you believe in without making yourself the centre of attention.
 
I remember going to a match many years ago where the referee was Asian.

This guy near me was shouting horrible racist abuse at the referee for most of the game with the stewwards just standing there and watching.

At the end of the game I said to the stewards why didn't you do anything about his racist abuse. The stewards repled with "he wasn't shouting it at you mate, so it shouldn't be a problem to you".

I reported the matter to the club and as expected heard nothing from them.
 
Danny Rose says he is "lost for words" after Montenegro were ordered to play their next home match behind closed doors following the racist abuse of England players by supporters in March.

England won the Euro 2020 qualifier 5-1 in Podgorica but the match was overshadowed by racist chanting aimed at several players, including Rose.

Montenegro have also received a fine of 20,000 euros (£17,253) from Uefa.

"I don't think it's a harsh enough punishment," Rose told Sky Sports.

"I'm not surprised. It's obviously a bit of a shame this is where we're at now and I just have to get on with it," the England left-back added.

"It's a bit shocking but there's not much I can do now. I just hope I don't ever have to play there again and we just have to move on now."

Montenegro's fine includes different charges of setting off fireworks, throwing objects, crowd disturbances and blocking stairways.

In a statement the Football Association said: "We hope that their next home match being played behind closed doors sends out a message that racism has no place in football or in wider society."

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out were critical of the penalty given, saying in a statement: "Ever since England's black players received this shocking abuse we have called for the strongest punishment. This decision falls way short of that."

Punish racism from fans by relegating clubs - Chimbonda
Tackling racism in society must come first - Barnes
Danny Rose on racism: Tottenham defender 'can't wait to see the back of football'
Speaking earlier this month, Rose said he "can't wait to see the back of football" and said he was frustrated at the lack of action taken against fans' racism.

The Tottenham defender said: "When countries get fined what I probably spend on a night out in London, what do you expect?"

Uefa's disciplinary committee announced a number of punishments on Friday.

They included:

Paris St-Germain forward Neymar banned for three European games for insulting match officials on Instagram
Slovakia fined 43,000 euros (£37,103) for a number of charges including illicit chants in Euro 2020 qualifier against Hungary
Hungary given a partial stadium closure for a number of charges including racist behaviour and fined 23,500 euros (£20,277) from the same match
Dynamo Kiev fined 60,000 euros (£51,779) following a Europa League game against Chelsea
Bayern Munich fined 12,000 euros (£10,355) for blocking stairways in a Champions League tie against Liverpool.
Republic of Ireland fined 10,000 euros (£8,629) after their fans threw tennis ball onto the pitch during a Euro 2020 qualifier against Georgia
Raheem Sterling scored England's fifth goal in the 81st minute and celebrated by putting his hands to his ears, a gesture he later said was a response to the racist abuse, which was also aimed at Callum Hudson-Odoi.

In injury time Rose was booked following a strong challenge on Aleksandar Boljevic, with more racist chants aimed at the 28-year-old.

Montenegro coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic said he did not "hear or notice any" racist abuse, but England manager Gareth Southgate said "there's no doubt in my mind it happened - it's unacceptable".

The minimum punishment from Uefa for an incident of racism is a partial stadium closure, while a second offence results in one match being played behind closed doors and a fine of 50,000 euros (£42,500).

Montenegro's next home match is a Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo on 7 June.

Last weekend, professional footballers in England and Wales boycotted social media for 24 hours, to protest against the way social networks and football authorities respond to racism.

It followed a number of high-profile incidents in domestic and international matches this season.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48072307
 
Arsenal say they "utterly condemn" the behaviour of a group of Valencia fans who appeared to make Nazi salutes and monkey gestures at Thursday's Europa League semi-final at Emirates Stadium.

A video has emerged of the latest high profile incident of racism at domestic and international football this season.

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said "these blatant racist gestures are shocking and inexcusable."

Arsenal won the first-leg tie 3-1, with the reverse fixture in Spain on 9 May.

"We utterly condemn such behaviour," said an Arsenal spokesman. "It has no place in society or football. We are working with Valencia on this and continue to encourage fans to report incidents and to provide witness statements so effective action can be taken."

There have not been any arrests for the incident. Six Valencia fans were arrested during the game for foul and abusive language and alcohol-related issues.

Valencia said the "isolated gestures" by travelling fans "do not represent in any way Valencia fans".

The Spanish side say they are working to indentify those responsible and have asked for help from other fans who were at the game, saying they will take "the corresponding disciplinary measures".

The club also said that although the actions were "absolutely unjustifiable", they would be investigating to see if there were any "possible provocations".

Kick it Out said: "We hope the relevant authorities identify the perpetrators and take the strongest possible punishment."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48148347
 
Raheem Sterling has been lauded this season for his defiant stance against racism and the Manchester City star says his “voice needed to be heard”.

The England forward has been critical of British newspapers' portrayal of black football players.

The 24-year-old, who was one of a number of black players racially abused during England's game in Montenegro in March, has also been vocal in calling for stiffer punishments for fans who racially abuse players.

Sterling admits he did not set out to make himself a leading figure in the fight against racism but is pleased with the backing he has received since speaking out on the issue.

"It is not something I was trying to do for people to see me as this person that is trying to lead the way," Sterling told Sky Sports News, after receiving his Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award.

"I was just trying to raise a point and I thought it was a valid point at the time and my voice needed to be heard.

"I am just grateful that people took up on it and credit to the people out there that have taken on this information.

"As a collective we are all trying to do the best to make a massive change, not just in football, but in society as well.

"It is sad that people still judge people, not just on their skin colour, but on their gender and whatever it is they want to judge. It is not nice.

"In this day and age people should be able to accept what people are and how people are.

"The most positive thing about it is there are people in this country who want to hear and want to make a change. They are now finding the right way to do that."

While Sterling has been celebrated for what he has done off the pitch this season, he has also been in fantastic form on it, emerging as an increasingly-key player for club and country.

City will retain their Premier League title with victory at Brighton on Sunday but they have had to fight tooth and nail to keep their noses in front of Liverpool in one of the most enthralling title races ever.

Back-to-back titles looked unlikely for Pep Guardiola's side in December when they suffered defeats to Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester City.

That dip in form saw them fall seven points behind Liverpool and Sterling admits City were scrambling for answers.

"That was probably one of the most difficult times of my career, actually," Sterling said.

"Just to know how far behind Liverpool we were was quite hard to take. The manner in which we lost the games was quite difficult.

"We were up in games and then falling behind. We could not quite understand what was going on.

"This is why everyone watches the Premier League. It is not just the big teams that beat the little teams. Anyone can upset anyone. That is why the league is so great.

"As a club and as a group, with the manager and the coaching staff, we all got together and tried to find out what exactly was going wrong," Sterling continued.

"These are the things you need to do as a team to achieve success. Everyone spoke and we got our season back on track.

"We knew we had to be up for the job and try to win pretty much all our games to even have a chance, and then hope other teams could do us a favour and draw with or beat Liverpool, and that has happened.

"I am really grateful and it is really nice to know it is in your hands with the last game to play. I would much rather be the team with it in our hands than the team that is chasing."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...st-racism?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral
 
England manager Gareth Southgate has said his players will not walk off the pitch in protest if they are racially abused by supporters following discussions with his squad and staff.

England’s 5-1 rout of Montenegro in Podgorica in March was soured by racist abuse from fans and the hosts were ordered to play their next European competition match behind closed doors as part of sanctions handed out by UEFA.

Southgate said he discussed the matter with England internationals Raheem Sterling, Danny Rose and Callum Hudson-Odoi and the players agreed that walking off would shift the focus to them rather than the issue of racism.

“They are clear they don’t want the story at the end to be about them as individuals,” Southgate told reporters on Thursday as he announced his squad for next month’s UEFA Nations League semi-final against Netherlands.

“They want football to be the story.

“In terms of walking off the pitch, that isn’t something they’re all on board with. None of the current team has expressed that as a preference... But they have had an opportunity to speak (publicly) and have an impact that way.”

Sterling, who had also been allegedly racially abused when playing for Manchester City at Chelsea, had last month signed a manifesto that called for consistent punishment for racist and discriminatory behaviour, including automatic nine-point deductions.

Southgate added that walking off the pitch would be nothing more than a “symbolic statement” which would not necessarily lead to reform.

“The bit that isn’t clear to me if we did that — apart from the question of whether we would be penalised — is what would happen then?” Southgate added. “It would be a statement, but what would that lead to?

“There are lots of statements that have been made and haven’t led to change and reform. For me, the broader discussion around racism, education is key.

“A lot of our players and former players have spoken brilliantly about that in recent months. I don’t think we need any more symbolic statements that this is unacceptable.”

England play Netherlands on June 6 in Guimaraes and face either hosts Portugal or Switzerland in the Nations League final or go into a third place playoff on June 9.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-s...for-racist-abuse-says-southgate-idUKKCN1SN0D6
 
I was speaking to an elder who lived through the 70s and 80s, big football fan who always attended games and he said to me Millwall and Leeds had the worst culture when it came to racism and football hooliganism, unfortunately till this day both clubs haven't changed much in this regard
 
Chelsea have banned a fan for life for using "racially abusive language" towards Manchester City's Raheem Sterling during a match at Stamford Bridge on 8 December 2018.

Five other Blues supporters have been temporarily suspended for using "abusive language and threatening and aggressive behaviour".

Police investigated allegations England forward Sterling was racially abused but the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence for a criminal charge.

Chelsea conducted their own investigation and said they delayed reaching their decision so as not to prejudice the related police inquiry.

The Blues said they operated under the civil standard of proof, rather than criminal.

"While the club respects the decision of the CPS, the question it had to determine was not whether a criminal offence had been committed, but rather whether the individual acted in breach of the ticketing terms and conditions," said a Chelsea statement.

Chelsea said they sought representations from the fans concerned, reviewed video evidence, interviewed potential witnesses and took advice from two lip-reading experts.

The club statement added: "All individuals sanctioned as a result of our investigation were then offered the right to appeal and, where applicable, those appeals have been heard."

Chelsea said the six fans "crossed the line of what is acceptable".

In terms of the supporter banned for life, Chelsea said two lip-reading experts advised that racially abusive words had been used.

The other five fans have been given bans of between one and two years.

"Individuals receiving the shorter exclusion did so on the basis that they have provided undertakings about their future behaviour," said the club.

"Chelsea finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour abhorrent and we will continue to operate a zero-tolerance approach to any incidents of racism."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49161781
 
Fulham will take the "strongest action possible" after full-back Cyrus Christie alleged that his sister was hit and racially abused by fans during Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Barnsley.

Christie said on Twitter after the game: "To the Fulham fan that decided to hit my sister at the game today and his wife who justified his action with racist remarks I hope you're proud of yourself and feel like a big man.

"You'll get what's coming to you. Regardless how you felt about the result your actions are shameful."

The Whites, relegated to the Championship last season, said in a statement: "Fulham Football Club is investigating an incident which took place in the away end at the Barnsley v Fulham fixture this afternoon.

"Should the perpetrators be identified, the club will be taking the strongest possible action."

Republic of Ireland international Christie, 26, joined Fulham from Middlesbrough in January 2018 and has made 33 appearances for the club.

In November 2017 and April 2018 he shared racist abuse he had received on social media.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49222159
 
The Brazilian joined in a reported £36m deal from the Spanish giants earlier this week.

But at the match with Krasnodar a banner held up by disgruntled fans had a sarcastic message to chiefs at the Russian club.

It said: “Thank you leadership for loyalty to traditions.”

Zenit's black Brazilian player Douglas Costa was playing in the match.

Previously, the Landskrona fan association has urged club chiefs not to acquire black players.

It is not the first time there have been accusations of racism from clubs from behind the old Iron Curtain.

Russia was fined £22,000 for racist chants in their friendly with France in May, 2018, just before the World Cup was held in the country.

In 2012, Zenit fans launched a campaign to stop their club buying black and gay players.

Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi was racially abused in the Europa League last-16 clash with Dynamo Kiev last season.

England's Raheem Sterling was racially abused by Montenegrin fans in 2018.

Red Star Belgrade got a stadium ban and a £61,500 fine for racist behaviour.

Romania were also handed a stadium ban for racist chanting against Serbia.

Malcom played 24 games for the Catalans after signing from Bordeaux.

Gareth Southgate insists England players will not walk off pitch if they suffer racist abuse

https://twnews.co.uk/gb-news/zenit-...ack-player-malcom-with-shocking-racist-banner
 
Racism is never acceptable. However, I don't think it is possible to eradicate it 100%. You can probably find racist people in every country of this planet.

Best thing to do is to file lawsuits or just ignore.
 
Chelsea have condemned "abhorrent posts" aimed at Tammy Abraham after the club's Super Cup defeat by Liverpool in Istanbul.

Striker Abraham, 21, was targeted on social media with racist abuse after his side lost 5-4 on penalties.

Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian kept out Abraham's spot-kick to secure victory for the Champions League winners.

"We are disgusted with the abhorrent posts we have seen on social media," said a club spokesman.

"Chelsea FC finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour unacceptable. It has no place at this club and where there is clear evidence of Chelsea season ticket holders or members involved in such behaviour, we will take the strongest possible action against them.'

The club's reaction comes after Kick It Out had issued a statement condemning the treatment of Abraham.

"Such abuse is now increasingly predictable, but no less disgusting," said the anti-racism charity.

"We send our support to Tammy and reiterate our call for Twitter and other social companies to clamp down on this level of abuse.

"This is a call to action - we want to know what they are going to do to tackle this insidious problem."

Former Everton striker Kevin Campbell tweeted: "Can someone please tell me why Tammy Abraham gets racially abused for missing a penalty? Football is the excuse for some people."

It comes after there were four reported cases of racist abuse on the opening weekend of the EFL season.

James McClean of Stoke City, Southend United striker Theo Robinson, Bambo Diaby of Barnsley and the sister of Fulham defender Cyrus Christie were all involved in incidents of 'discriminatory abuse'.

Kick It Out also produced a report which was released in July which showed that reports of racist abuse increased by 43% last season, with 274 cases compared with 192 the previous season.

In one of those, Chelsea suspended six fans for using "abusive language and threatening and aggressive behaviour" towards Manchester City and England player Raheem Sterling during a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in December 2018.

One of those fans was banned for life for using "racially abusive language" towards Sterling.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49359371
 
Racist abuse: footballers should boycott social media, says Phil Neville

England women's manager Phil Neville said footballers should "boycott" social media to send a "powerful message" that abuse is not acceptable.

Neville's comments come after Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba received racist abuse online having missed a penalty in his side's 1-1 draw at Wolves on Monday.

"We have to take drastic measures now as a football community. I've had it with my players on social media, the Premier League and the Championship have had it," said Neville.

"I just wonder whether as a football community we come off social media, because Twitter won't do anything about it, Instagram won't do anything about it - they send you an email reply saying they'll investigate but nothing happens.

"I've lost total faith in whoever runs these social media departments, so let's send a powerful message: come off social media (for) six months. Let's see the effect it has on these social media companies."

On Tuesday, Twitter issued a statement saying it "strongly condemns" the abuse and has "now permanently suspended a series of accounts for violating our hateful conduct policy".

It added: "We're fully aware of and share the concerns surrounding online racist abuse towards certain footballers in the UK over recent days.

"We're proactively monitoring the conversation online and will continue taking robust action on any account which violates our rules.

"This is a societal issue and requires a societal response. This is why we maintain a dialogue with both the Professional Footballers' Association and Kick It Out and are committed to working together to address abusive online and racist behaviour across the industry."

A statement from Facebook said: "There is no place for racism or abusive behaviour on Instagram and we invest heavily in developing tools and technologies to prevent bullying and harassment.

"People who repeatedly break our guidelines will be permanently banned from using Instagram."

Several of Pogba's team-mates have criticised the abuse of the Frenchman, whose 68th-minute penalty was saved by Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio - the fourth spot-kick Pogba has missed for United in the Premier League since the start of last season.

Harry Maguire called on social media companies to "stop these pathetic trolls", while Marcus Rashford said "enough now, this needs to stop".

"Manchester United is a family. Paul Pogba is a huge part of that family. You attack him you attack us all," the England striker added on Twitter.

United said they are "working to identify" those responsible for the racist abuse directed at Pogba.

"The individuals who expressed these views do not represent the values of our great club and it is encouraging to see the vast majority of our fans condemn this on social media also," read a United statement.

"We will work to identify the few involved in these incidents and take the strongest course of action available to us. We also encourage social media companies to take action in these cases."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49414023
 
Twitter will meet Manchester United and Kick It Out following racist abuse suffered online by Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman became the third player in a week to be racially abused on social media following a penalty miss.

Several of Pogba's team-mates criticised the abuse, while England women's manager Phil Neville called for footballers to "boycott" social media.

Twitter said they will meet with any stakeholders to show the "proactive work" being done to tackle abuse.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49425147
 
Parliament may invite Pogba Evidence

Manchester United’s Paul Pogba may be invited to submit evidence to a parliamentary inquiry into social media, it has been revealed.

Twitter and club representatives will meet in the next few weeks to discuss the racist abuse aimed at Pogba following Monday night's game with Wolves.

Pogba was targeted after failing to score a penalty in the 1-1 draw at Molineux on Monday and was backed by team-mates Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford, who called on Twitter to take action against the culprits.

A sub-committee of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has been reviewing social media since April, following the publication of a report on Disinformation and 'fake news' in February.

The committee's chair has confirmed it is monitoring Pogba's case and will hold talks with committee members when the House of Commons returns from summer recess next month.

Damian Collins MP has told Sky Sports News: "The committee would be interested in hearing from any person or organisation that has sought action from social media companies to stop this kind of abuse, but not received a satisfactory response.

"The racist comments directed against players like Paul Pogba should be considered against the duty of care the social medial companies have towards their users. If say, in the case of Paul Pogba, a tech company failed to close down accounts that had repeatedly targeted him with racist abuse, then that company would have failed in its duty of care.

"In that situation there should be a sanction applied against the tech company as well as action taken against the person who had been posting the comments."

There are no current plans to invite Pogba, or other footballers, to give evidence in person.

The DCMS Committee recommended that "clear legal liabilities should be established for tech companies to act against harmful or illegal content on their sites. There is now an urgent need to establish independent regulation."

Collins has supported calls for social media companies to verify every account.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...-to-a-parliamentary-inquiry-into-social-media
 
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says social media companies have to stop the spread of hate, after his midfielder Paul Pogba received racist abuse online last week.

The Frenchman became the third player in a week to be racially abused on the platforms following a penalty miss against Wolves.

"Paul is a strong character - it makes him stronger," said the Norwegian.

"We have to do something about it and authorities have to do something."

Solskjaer is the latest figure from the club calling for stronger action, following defender Harry Maguire and striker Marcus Rashford. Former defender Phil Neville also suggested that players quit social media in protest.

"Social media is a place where Harry [Maguire] said people hide behind fake identities - it's not down to me to change it," added Solskjaer, who also said players would not be banned from using social media.

Last week, Chelsea condemned "abhorrent posts" aimed at Tammy Abraham after his decisive penalty miss in the Super Cup against Liverpool. Then on Sunday, Reading striker Yakou Meite called out racist abuse sent to him on social media after he had a spot-kick saved.

Earlier this week, Twitter stated it would meet United representatives and anti-abuse campaigners Kick It Out.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49445212
 
Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford was subject to racist abuse on Twitter after he missed a penalty on Saturday during the club’s narrow defeat against Crystal Palace.

The England international had led condemnation of the racial abuse teammate Paul Pogba was subjected to days earlier, after deplorable comments were aimed at him on social media following his own penalty being saved in a match against Wolves on Monday.

Rashford was called the “n” word by a number of people – one of whom purported to be a Manchester United fan – after his spot kick crashed against the post. Racist photos that attempted to mock him were also posted on Twitter.

A number of the comments soon appeared to have been taken down by the social media platform. But the latest hateful remarks were likely to spark fresh condemnation of racist abuse online after Rashford tweeted on Tuesday: “Enough now, this needs to stop Twitter … Manchester United is a family. Paul Pogba is a huge part of that family. You attack him you attack us all.”

Manchester United had issued a statement saying the club was “disgusted” by the racial abuse aimed at Pogba and “utterly condemned” it.

“The individuals who expressed these views do not represent the values of our great club and it is encouraging to see the vast majority of our fans condemn this on social media also.” It added that it will work to identify “the few involved in these incidents” and take the “strongest course of action available to us”.

During the match against Palace, Manchester United fans held up a banner saying ‘United against racism’.

Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham and Reading’s Yakou Méïté have also also been racially abused on Twitter during the past week after failing to score from the spot.

Ahead of Saturday’s fixtures Premier League managers put the focus on social media companies role in policing online abuse against footballers.

Twitter said in a statement to the Associated Press in response to the abuse of French international Pogba: “We strongly condemn this unacceptable behaviour, and have now permanently suspended a series of accounts for violating our Hateful Conduct Policy.

“This is a societal issue and requires a societal response. This is why we maintain a dialogue with both the PFA and Kick It Out and are committed to working together to address abusive online and racist behaviour across the industry.”

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...us-rashford-target-of-racist-abuse-on-twitter
 
Marcus Rashford racist abuse: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says perpetrators "hiding behind" profiles

People who post racist abuse on social media "hide behind fake identities", said Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Marcus Rashford was targeted on social media.

The England international was abused after missing a penalty in Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace.

He is the second United player to get abused this week after Paul Pogba.

Campaigners Kick It Out called it "vile" and said "decisive action" needs to be taken.

Earlier this week, Twitter said it will meet with any stakeholders to show the "proactive work" being done to tackle abuse after Pogba was targeted following a missed penalty in the 1-1 draw against Wolves on Monday.

Several of Pogba's team-mates - including Rashford - criticised the abuse, while England women's manager Phil Neville called for footballers to "boycott" social media.

Rashford joins a growing list of footballers who have been subject to racist abuse after missing a penalty, with Chelsea's Tammy Abraham and Reading's Yakou Meite also targeted this week.

Kick It Out said in a statement on Saturday: "The vile racist abuse on social media continued today.

"This problem will not go away and needs decisive action - that is what we will be making clear to Twitter when we meet."

Speaking before United's Premier League loss to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, Solskjaer called for "authorities to do something" about the problem.

In a news conference after the game, he said: "It is the same we spoke about before the weekend. It's unheard of and we need it to stop, it needs to stop.

"I'm just lost for words if it keeps going. We keep having all these campaigns 'No to Racism' and it keeps hiding behind fake identities. It's just crazy that we talk about this in 2019."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49462830
 
Paul Pogba: Manchester United midfielder says 'racism can only make me stronger'

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba says racist abuse "can only make me stronger and motivate me to fight for the next generation".

The France World Cup winner was racially abused on social media after his penalty miss at Wolves on Monday.

Several of Pogba's team-mates criticised the abuse, while England women's manager Phil Neville called for footballers to "boycott" social media.

"Racist insults are ignorance," said 26-year-old Pogba.

In a message on Twitter, accompanied by a photograph showing him holding his baby alongside portraits of his late father Fassou Antoine and civil rights activist Martin Luther King, he added: "My ancestors and my parents suffered for my generation to be free today, to work, to take the bus, to play football."

It was the first time Pogba had tweeted since July.

On Saturday, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said people who post racist abuse on social media "hide behind fake identities".

Pogba's team-mate Marcus Rashford was targeted online after missing a penalty in United's shock home Premier League defeat by Crystal Palace on Saturday.

It's the fourth racism incident in two weeks - Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham and Reading's Yakou Meite both received racist messages online after missing penalties in their teams' most recent matches.

Twitter said it will meet any stakeholders to show the "proactive work" being done to tackle abuse.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49465224
 
Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku was racially abused by Cagliari fans as he scored from the penalty spot to give his club a 2-1 victory in Serie A.

He is the latest black player to suffer abuse from Cagliari fans, prompting calls for action to be taken.

Lukaku, 26, stood and stared at fans behind the goal - where monkey chants had come from - after scoring.

"Cagliari have history for this," said European football's anti-discrimination body Fare.

The fans' actions were condemned by Inter defender Milan Skriniar in a post-match interview. "There are things that must not be in football," he said, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

However, when Inter boss Antonio Conte was asked about the chants, he said: "I really didn't hear anything from the bench. However, it is true that in general in Italy more education is needed."

Belgium international Lukaku, a £74m signing from Manchester United in the summer, was playing in his second game for Conte's side at Cagliari's Sardegna Arena.

Last season Everton's Moise Kean suffered similar abuse when playing against Cagliari for Juventus. But the incident became a bigger issue when Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri and defender Leonardo Bonucci appeared to suggest Kean should take some of the blame for the way he celebrated scoring a goal.

Serie A decided not to sanction Cagliari for their fans' racism - despite admitting their actions were "reprehensible".

The previous year Cagliari fans were called out after abusing another Juventus player in Blaise Matuidi - but Italian football chiefs did not take any action.

In 2017, Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari walked off the pitch after being racially abused by Cagliari fans - but was subsequently banned by football authorities for his protest.

Cagliari was heavily criticised on its social media channels but the club has not yet addressed Sunday's abuse.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49546433
 
Saj said:
I remember going to a match many years ago where the referee was Asian.

This guy near me was shouting horrible racist abuse at the referee for most of the game with the stewwards just standing there and watching.

At the end of the game I said to the stewards why didn't you do anything about his racist abuse. The stewards repled with "he wasn't shouting it at you mate, so it shouldn't be a problem to you".

I reported the matter to the club and as expected heard nothing from them.
Click to expand...

Hideous.
 
Romelu Lukaku: Ex-Man Utd striker says 'we are going backwards' on racist abuse

Striker Romelu Lukaku says "we are going backwards" on racism after he was racially abused by Cagliari fans while playing for Inter Milan on Sunday.

It follows incidents where Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, and Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham were abused on social media.

"As players we need to unify and make a statement on this matter," Lukaku said.

Cagliari said they were committed to "annihilating one of the worst plagues that affects football and our world".

In a statement the club, whose fans have been involved in a number of racist incidents, said they were in "full solidarity" with Lukaku and pledged to "identify, isolate and ban" the "ignorant individuals whose shameful actions and behaviours are completely against" the club's values.

Serie A is investigating the racist abuse, which came when Lukaku scored the winning goal in a 2-1 away victory.

After scoring a 72nd-minute penalty the former Manchester United striker stood and stared at fans behind the goal - where monkey chants had come from.

"Many players in the last month have suffered from racial abuse… I did yesterday too," Lukaku in his statement.


Report
"Football is a game to be enjoyed and we shouldn't accept any form of discrimination that will put our game in shame.

"Ladies and gentlemen it's 2019 - instead of going forwards we're going backwards.

"I hope the football federations all over the world react strongly on all cases of discrimination.

"Social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) need to work better as well with football clubs because every day you see at least a racist comment under a post of a person of colour. We've been saying it for years and still no action."

Lukaku's former United team-mates Pogba and Rashford were both targeted on social media after penalty misses this season.

Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma was racially abused on Saturday after an own goal against Sheffield United, while team-mate Abraham and Reading's Yakou Meite both received racist messages online after missing penalties last month.

England women's manager Phil Neville said footballers should "boycott" social media and Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said social media companies needed to do more.

Last month, Twitter said it would meet clubs and campaigning organisations to show the "proactive work" being done to tackle abuse.

Past incidents at Cagliari

The abuse of Lukaku was the latest incident in which a black player has been racially abused on the pitch by Cagliari fans, prompting calls for action to be taken.

It was mentioned by Italian media but did not make the front pages of any of the three main sporting newspapers.

Last season Everton's Moise Kean suffered similar abuse when playing against Cagliari for Juventus.

Serie A decided not to sanction Cagliari for their fans' racism - despite admitting their actions were "reprehensible".

The previous year Cagliari fans were called out after abusing another Juventus player, Blaise Matuidi - but Italian football chiefs did not take any action.

In 2017, Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari walked off the pitch after being racially abused by Cagliari fans - but was subsequently banned by football authorities for his protest.

Cagliari statement in full


Cagliari Calcio firmly rejects what happened Sunday night at the Sardegna Arena during the game v Inter Milan.

The club underlines - once again - its intention to identify, isolate and ban those ignorant individuals whose shameful actions and behaviours are completely against those values that Cagliari Calcio strongly promotes in all their initiatives. Every single day.

Cagliari v Inter Milan was the right occasion to appreciate and enjoy positive cheer, never addressed against anybody: in fact inside our "Curva Futura" - the first dedicated sector in Italy built to host children - both Inter Milan and Cagliari supporters enjoyed a lovely evening together in the name of their passion for football.

Cagliari Calcio does not want to underplay what occurred last night, endorses the respectable moral values of its people from all the stadium sections, but firmly rejects the outrageous charge and silly stereotypes addressed to Cagliari supporters and the Sardinian people, which are absolutely unacceptable.

Full solidarity to Romelu Lukaku and even stronger commitment toward annihilating one of the worst plagues that affects football and our world in general.

However, as we are aware that technology is not enough, we believe our commitment needs a real support by the rest of the football stakeholders: starting from all the true supporters, to all the stewards in the stands, from police and security agents, passing to media and as well through Lega Serie A and FIGC. Cagliari Calcio is asking you all a solid help to win a battle that involves everyone.

No-one excluded.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49554260
 
Racism will always be a part of Football. Punishing the clubs won't put an end to it.
 
A group of Inter Milan fans claim Cagliari supporters were showing Romelu Lukaku a form of "respect" when they aimed monkey chants at him on Sunday.

Lukaku, who moved from Manchester United to Inter in the summer, was subjected to the racist abuse after scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory.

A statement from Inter fan group Curva Nord said "Italian fans are not racist" and the abuse was gamesmanship.

It added: "We are sorry you thought what happened in Cagliari was racist."

The open letter to the Belgian forward, published on the fans' Facebook page, also said: "You have to understand that Italy is not like many other north European countries where racism is a real problem.

"We understand that it could have seemed racist to you but it is not like that. In Italy we use some 'ways' only to 'help our teams' and to try to make our opponents nervous, not for racism but to mess them up.

"Please consider this attitude of Italian fans as a form of respect for the fact they are afraid of you for the goals you might score against their teams and not because they hate you or they are racist."

Lukaku, who said the game is "going backwards" in the wake of the abuse, stood and stared at fans behind the goal - where the chants had originated from - after scoring the winning goal.

Inter defender Milan Skriniar - who was seen putting his fingers to his lips to the Cagliari fans - in support of his team-mate condemned the fans' actions in a post-match interview.

The abuse received by Lukaku was the latest incident in which a black player has been racially abused on the pitch by Cagliari fans.

In a statement, Cagliari said it intends to "identify, isolate and ban those ignorant individuals whose shameful actions and behaviours are completely against those values that Cagliari Calcio strongly promotes in all their initiatives".

Curva Nord's open letter to Romelu Lukaku
Last season Everton's Moise Kean suffered similar abuse when playing against Cagliari for Juventus.

Serie A decided not to sanction Cagliari for their fans' racism - despite admitting their actions were "reprehensible".

The previous year Cagliari fans were called out after abusing another Juventus player, Blaise Matuidi - but Italian football chiefs did not take any action.

In 2017, Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari walked off the pitch after being racially abused by Cagliari fans - but was subsequently banned by football authorities for his protest.

It follows incidents where Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, and Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham were abused on social media.

Lukaku's former United team-mates Pogba and Rashford were both targeted on social media after penalty misses this season.

Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma was racially abused on Saturday after an own goal against Sheffield United, while team-mate Abraham and Reading's Yakou Meite both received racist messages online after missing penalties last month.

England women's manager Phil Neville said footballers should "boycott" social media and Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said social media companies needed to do more.

Last month, Twitter said it would meet clubs and campaigning organisations to show the "proactive work" being done to tackle abuse.

Cagliari statement in full
Cagliari Calcio firmly rejects what happened Sunday night at the Sardegna Arena during the game v Inter Milan.

The club underlines - once again - its intention to identify, isolate and ban those ignorant individuals whose shameful actions and behaviours are completely against those values that Cagliari Calcio strongly promotes in all their initiatives. Every single day.

Cagliari v Inter Milan was the right occasion to appreciate and enjoy positive cheer, never addressed against anybody: in fact inside our "Curva Futura" - the first dedicated sector in Italy built to host children - both Inter Milan and Cagliari supporters enjoyed a lovely evening together in the name of their passion for football.

Cagliari Calcio does not want to underplay what occurred last night, endorses the respectable moral values of its people from all the stadium sections, but firmly rejects the outrageous charge and silly stereotypes addressed to Cagliari supporters and the Sardinian people, which are absolutely unacceptable.

Full solidarity to Romelu Lukaku and even stronger commitment toward annihilating one of the worst plagues that affects football and our world in general.

However, as we are aware that technology is not enough, we believe our commitment needs a real support by the rest of the football stakeholders: starting from all the true supporters, to all the stewards in the stands, from police and security agents, passing to media and as well through Lega Serie A and FIGC. Cagliari Calcio is asking you all a solid help to win a battle that involves everyone.

No-one excluded.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49576840
 
The lack of diversity in football organisations is part of the problem in tackling racism, says former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany.

The Belgian was speaking in the wake of compatriot Romelu Lukaku being racially abused by Cagliari fans while playing for Inter Milan at the weekend.

Lukaku said the abuse showed the game was "going backwards".

"Romelu is a victim of something disgraceful not just in football, but also in society," said Kompany.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, the Anderlecht manager added: "It goes back to who is expected to make a decision on these issues, and it's in these organisations that the problems lie.

"The real racism lies in the fact none of these institutions have representatives that can actually understand what Romelu is going through.

"You are dealing with a crowd of people and decision-makers who are telling him how he should think and feel about this when you have no decision-makers who are remotely in touch with what he has experienced in his life.

"That's the real issue - if you go through the boards at Uefa or Fifa, the Italian League or the English League, there is a real lack of diversity.

"If you don't have diversity in places of power like boardrooms then you can't have the right decisions in terms of sanctions - it's a simple as that."

Lukaku, who moved from Manchester United to Inter in the summer, was subjected to monkey chants as he scored a penalty for his side's winner in a 2-1 victory.

A group of Inter Milan fans claim Cagliari supporters were showing Lukaku a form of "respect" and the the abuse was gamesmanship.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49591125
 
England and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford fears football is "going backwards rather than forwards" in the fight against racism.

Rashford was racially abused on social media after missing a penalty in the defeat by Crystal Palace in August.

There have been similar incidents involving Paul Pogba and Tammy Abraham while Romelu Lukaku was recently subjected to racist chanting.

"To see it spike in the last couple of months is unbelievable," said Rashford.

"I have always said, the more we speak about it, it doesn't have an impact - there are examples where people have spoken out and nothing has really changed.

"We want to nip it in the bud."

Social media platform Twitter says it has "taken action" on "more than 700 examples of hateful conduct" in the past two weeks.

Twitter said it had also met "directly affected" clubs, the Professional Footballers' Association and Kick it Out in an attempt to "tackle the issue collectively".

However, Rashford believes more needs to be done.

"For me, it's too easy to do whatever you like on the internet," he added.

"Any of us now could go on and create accounts and write what we want under anybody's posts and nobody would ever know.

"It's easy to figure it out and if you have to show identification to create an account that means everybody can only have one account.

"For me, there's hundreds of thousands of people that use my name on social media and they can write what they like."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49613384
 
Raheem Sterling has called on society to "wake up" and realise footballers are "human beings just doing their jobs" as players continue to be racially abused.

A number of players, including Sterling's fellow England internationals Marcus Rashford and Tammy Abraham, have been targeted online after missing penalties this season.

Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku was also racially abused by Cagliari fans during a Serie A match last week, and Sterling says things must change.

He told Sky Sports News: "It's easy to say what happens next but there's a lot of people behind a computer screen. Those are the ones that are disappointing and feel they can get away with stuff like this.

"We are in 2019 and we're still talking about this. I can't say I have the answer to stop it but as a society we need to nail down on this.

"The people doing it need to wake up and understand it's a new era and discrimination is not something anybody should face.

"We need to grow up as a society and realise we're only out here doing our jobs. We are human beings and we have feelings.

"It's a touchy subject but I can't tell you I've got the exact answer. But as a society we need to do better and appreciate each other more."

Sterling has been outspoken in calling out racism during his career, and called for Montenegro to be handed a stadium ban after he was one of a number of England players to be racially abused during the team's win there last season.

Speaking before England's 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Saturday, Marcus Rashford called on social media companies to do more to prevent their users racially abusing others online.

"For me, it's too easy to do whatever you like on the internet," Rashford said. "Any of us now could go on and create accounts and write what we want under anybody's posts and nobody would ever know.

"The solution is easy to figure out - if you had to show identification to create an account that means everybody can only have one account.

"For me, there's hundreds of thousands of people that use my name on social media and they can write what they like.

"But people are speaking out and people are listening so hopefully we can put it right."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...g-says-society-must-grow-up-and-tackle-racism
 
Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham says his mother was reduced to tears by the racist abuse he received after the Uefa Super Cup final.

Abraham missed the decisive penalty in the shootout to give Liverpool victory in Istanbul last month and was then subjected to abuse on social media.

"I remember speaking to my mum, she was emotional, she was in tears," 21-year-old Abraham told CNN.

A Chelsea spokesman said the club was "disgusted" with the "abhorrent" posts.

In August, Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian kept out Abraham's spot-kick to secure a 5-4 shootout victory for the Champions League winners after it had finished 2-2 after extra-time.

Abraham, who has since scored four times in Chelsea's past two matches, added: "It's obviously not nice, seeing your son getting abused. My mum was just thinking, 'Why him?'

"For me, I am a strong character, it doesn't affect me as much, but it could affect people who don't have my personality.

"I was sat in the changing room straight after the game and went on my phone. I wasn't going to shy away from the situation, although I did have some supportive messages. The other side is not nice to hear.

"I went through a lot of emotion after the penalty miss. I had experience of taking penalties last season, big ones as well. Everyone misses penalties. To miss the penalty... I was devastated and I had a lot of abuse after."

Abraham, who has made two international appearances for England, praised the support he has received from his club, his team-mates and his manager.

"Frank Lampard always had his arm around my shoulder lifting me up, the boys as well, it was like I never missed with the way they supported me and lifted me up - that is exactly what I needed," added Abraham.

bbc.com/sport/football/49643393
 
Raheem Sterling was the target of alleged racist abuse from a Bulgaria fan during England’s Euro 2020 qualifier at Wembley, the PA news agency understands.

The 24-year-old, a key figure in the fight against racism, is understood to have been subjected to discriminatory language during the first half of Saturday’s match at the national stadium.

A steward heard the individual in the Bulgaria section of the ground and they were ejected from Wembley and handed to the police.

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed to PA that the male was arrested and taken to a north London police station on suspicion of an aggravated public order offence. Following enquiries, he was released with no further action.

An FA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that an individual, who was seated in the away section of the stadium, was ejected and subsequently arrested for discriminatory abuse during the England v Bulgaria match.

“Wembley Stadium operates a zero tolerance policy on anti-social and discriminatory behaviour and anyone found guilty will be ejected and reported to the police.”

PA understands that nothing was said to Sterling during the game, with the FA’s security team speaking to the forward after the 4-0 win to make him aware of the process. UEFA was informed of the incident through its matchday delegate.

It is a sad but all too familiar story, with Sterling and his England team-mates subjected to racist abuse during March’s Euro 2020 qualifier in Montenegro.

“We know it’s going to be hostile, horrible at times,” the Manchester City forward replied when asked after that game if he almost expects the issue when playing in eastern Europe.

“Yes, it’s in the back of your mind. A few years ago it happened to Danny (Rose) in Serbia.

“We knew it would be a similar atmosphere, we weren’t thinking about racism, we were thinking more hostile, swearing, up in your face. But it’s a real shame.

I know what colour I am. It's just a shame that some people think it's cool to make fun of you for it

“It’s a real shame to be coming somewhere to be reminded of what skin colour you are, or what you resemble.

“I know what colour I am. It’s just a shame that some people think it’s cool to make fun of you for it.”

Sterling called for the Football Association of Montenegro to be hit with a stadium ban and UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body did order their next home match to be played behind closed doors.

They also received a €20,000 fine and European football’s governing body dismissed an appeal against the sanctions.

There are understandable fears about similar problems arising in Bulgaria next month, when the Three Lions make their first trip to the country since a 3-0 win in September 2011 that was overshadowed by racist abuse in Sofia.

Ashley Young was subjected to monkey chants during that game, but the Bulgarian Football Union (BFS) was only hit by a €40,000 fine by UEFA for “discriminatory” chanting and for the lighting and throwing of fireworks.

The Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski will already be partially closed for England’s latest visit due to the racist behaviour of their supporters in the 2-1 loss in the Czech Republic in June.

The BFS is required to block off at least 5,000 seats for the visit of Gareth Southgate’s men and display a banner with the wording ‘#EqualGame’.

Bulgaria’s return fixture against the Czechs is also due to be played at a partially-closed ground due to racist behaviour in the 3-2 home loss to Kosovo in their other June fixture.

And just last month, Bulgarian sides Levski Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1926 were both ordered to play their next UEFA matches in partially-closed stadiums due to racist behaviour in their respective Europa League qualifiers.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/s...abused-by-bulgaria-fan-at-wembley-950151.html
 
Gareth Southgate says England players will meet to "prepare" how to react to racism before their Euro 2020 qualifier in Bulgaria on 14 October.

Bulgaria's Stadion Vasil Levski will be partially closed for the visits of England and Czech Republic because of the racist behaviour of fans in June.

England players were also subjected to racist abuse in Bulgaria in 2011.

"It is a concern, we're not confident that we'll go there and nothing will happen," the England manager said.

Southgate added: "It's something that we've already planned. We've already planned what our schedule looks like and we're going to discuss it with the players before we go, because we're aware that there is history there and we want to make sure that we're all prepared for what might happen and how we want to respond."

The Football Association has said a fan in the away end at Wembley was ejected and arrested for "discriminatory abuse" during England's 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Saturday.

The man was was arrested on suspicion of an aggravated public order offence, but later released without charge.

Uefa ordered the closure of Bulgaria's national stadium following racist behaviour by their fans in Euro 2020 qualifying games against Czech Republic and Kosovo in June.

Last month, Bulgarian club sides PFC Levski Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv were punished by Uefa for racism during Europa League games.

England have already encountered racist abuse during their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, with Montenegro ordered to play their next home match behind closed doors following the racist abuse of England players by supporters in March.

'Sad we have to appeal for fans to behave'
England's next match is against Czech Republic in Prague on 11 October and Southgate has reiterated calls for England fans to provide a positive representation of their country.

Seven England fans were arrested during the Nations League Finals in Portugal in June following clashes with police.

The Football Association condemned those responsible at the time, saying they were "not true England supporters" and an "embarrassment to the team", the incidents coming a week after the release of their 'Don't be that idiot' campaign, warning fans about anti-social and "embarrassing behaviour".

Southgate said it was "sad we have to appeal" for fans to behave.

"It should be a given - sadly it isn't," he said. "Sadly, we are going to a place where people go, travel anyway for nights out from our country. What we don't need to see is behaviour that I am afraid happens on our own high streets, so it is not something that is just England supporters.

"I'm afraid that it is a societal issue of people with alcohol unable to control themselves. But we certainly don't want to be taking that abroad and that being a representation of our country."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49672083
 
The president of the Bulgarian Football Union has expressed his "indignation and disappointment" at comments by Gareth Southgate about possible racism at next month's Euro 2020 qualifier.

Borislav Mihaylov said the England manager's comments were "groundless, inappropriate and unnecessary".

Southgate said his team will "prepare" how to react to potential racism at the game in Sofia on 14 October.

England players were also subjected to racist abuse in Bulgaria in 2011.

In a letter to Uefa and the Football Association, former Bulgaria goalkeeper Mihaylov said: "We have not received any official information regarding discriminatory language used by a Bulgarian supporter at Wembley stadium.

"Even if this were the case however, we believe that generalisations and the creation of needless tension by official members of the English team is absolutely unacceptable and in contradiction with the spirit of mutual respect and fair play, the core values of both Uefa and the BFU."

The FA said a fan in the away end at Wembley was ejected and arrested for "discriminatory abuse" during England's 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Saturday.

The man was arrested on suspicion of an aggravated public order offence, but later released without charge.

Bulgaria's Stadion Vasil Levski will be partially closed for their next two international matches following racist behaviour by their fans in Euro 2020 qualifying games against the Czech Republic and Kosovo in June.

Last month, Bulgarian club sides PFC Levski Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv were punished by Uefa for racism during Europa League games.

England have already encountered racist abuse during their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, with Montenegro ordered to play their next home match behind closed doors following the racist abuse of England players by supporters in March.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49695293
 
An Italian television station says it will not use one of its pundits again after he made a racist comment about Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku.

Speaking on TopCalcio24, Luciano Passirani said: "If you go one-on-one with him he will murder you.

"The only way to come up against him is maybe give him 10 bananas to eat..."

Programme director Fabio Ravezzani said, despite Passirani's "immediate apologies" that "he could no longer participate in our broadcasts".

Lukaku, who moved from Manchester United to Inter in the summer, helped his side to a 1-0 win against Udinese on Saturday.

"Mr Passirani is 80 years old and to compliment Lukaku he used a metaphor that turned out to be racist," added Ravezzani.

"I think it was a terrible lack of momentary lucidity.

"I cannot tolerate any kind of errors, even if momentary."

Lukaku was recently subjected to monkey chants by Cagliari fans when he scored a penalty for his side in a 2-1 victory.

Afterwards, the Belgium international said the abuse showed the game was "going backwards".

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49713647
 
Cagliari and Verona have both avoided punishments for racially abusing Inter striker Romelu Lukaku and Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.

The FIGC vowed to investigate the monkey chants subjected to Lukaku by Cagliari fans before the international break.

However, its Giudice Sportivo panel ruled on Tuesday that the chants were not considered discriminatory in terms of “size and real perception”.

This is the third time the Sardinians have dodged punishment for racially abusing an opponent in two years after they targeted Moise Kean and Blaise Matuidi.

On the other hand, they did receive a €5,000 fine for throwing bottles on to the pitch and at stewards against Parma.

Verona will also not be sanctioned, despite there being clear evidence that Kessie received racist insults during Milan’s trip to the Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on Sunday.

Racist abuse very rarely leads to a ban in Italy, as the only previous incidents have come after repeated fines and warnings, for example after Inter breached their suspended sentence with large sections of the crowd insulting Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

Even then, only a section of the stadium where the chants are heard usually get shut, so the fans responsible can just buy tickets to other areas.

https://www.football-italia.net/144284/cagliari-verona-avoid-racism-bans
 
Sadly racism exists because authorities are not pushing hard to curb, investigate or punish fans. Its more concerning when larger clubs cant tackle these issues. Until the governing bodies heavily penalise clubs and fans nothing is going to happen.

Yes there will be some activity on news and media but it will vanish after a few days.

Football fans tend to be least civilised from what I have noticed in the UK.
 
imrankhannsu said:
Football fans tend to be least civilised from what I have noticed in the UK.
Click to expand...

It’s the group-mind affect at the matches. It can get very happy, or very ugly. I have found myself on my feet screaming at the referee, and wondering a moment later how I behaved so out of character.

With unscrupulous politicians stirring the xenophobic pot, destructive thoughts appear in the group-mind.
 
Robert said:
It’s the group-mind affect at the matches. It can get very happy, or very ugly. I have found myself on my feet screaming at the referee, and wondering a moment later how I behaved so out of character.

With unscrupulous politicians stirring the xenophobic pot, destructive thoughts appear in the group-mind.
Click to expand...

I agree with you about the group mind affect and its like a brush fire. Especially when you have drunk people who have racist reservations.

I think cricket is more serious in curbing racism. I remember after the Harbajan and Symonds monkey issue, some Indian fans were caught making monkey gestures and these people came into trouble after being photographed.
 
'Racism rot is deep' in Italian football, says anti-discriminatory body Fare

Italian football authorities and their disciplinary systems to combat racism are "not fit for purpose", says the chief of anti-discriminatory body Fare.

The claim has been made after Cagliari were cleared of racist chanting towards Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku in a Serie A match.

Lukaku was subjected to monkey chants by Cagliari fans when he scored a penalty for his side in a 2-1 win.

"The rot is deep," Fare executive director Piara Powar told BBC Sport.

"We believe the Italian authorities and the disciplinary system is simply not fit for purpose.

"Whether it is the FIGC [Italian Football Federation] or Serie A, they have failed to protect countless players from racism over the past year and have no meaningful response to the endemic racism in stadiums.

"There are no visible campaigns, no progressive fan leaders, as well as apathy and prejudice among the media.

"No-one is taking the issue seriously - no-one apart from the players, the victims themselves, and a few allies who have been courageous enough to stand up."

Serie A insisted it was "seriously and constantly engaged in activities against racism".

It added: "I can confirm our maximum effort to fight racism. We did a lot in the past and we'll do [a lot] in the future as we announced some days ago a campaign about this that we will develop in the next month."

The FIGC has been contacted for a response.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49738276
 
Incidents of hate crime at football matches in England and Wales rose by 47% last season, according to new Home Office figures.

In the 2018-19 season there were hate crime incidents - 79% of which related to race - at 193 matches, up from 131.

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were among Premier League players targeted.

But football-related arrests dropped overall by 10% to 1,381 in 2018-19.

The Home Office report said the rise in hate crime is likely to be partially down to improvements in recording incidents at matches.

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out described the figures as "a serious concern".

The organisation added: "It's encouraging to see that more people are comfortable reporting discrimination and we are working hard to make this as easy as possible for all to do, but it is undeniable that we are experiencing a rise in hateful behaviour across the game and wider society.

"These figures should serve as a reminder for football - we must increase our efforts to send a clear message to any fan who discriminates at a match: you will be identified, arrested and face a football banning order."

In a statement, the Football Association said: "We strongly condemn all forms of discrimination and encourage all fans and participants who believe that they have been the subject of, or witness to, discriminatory abuse to report it through the appropriate channels.

"Incidents of anti-social and discriminatory behaviour can be reported to the relevant club, matchday stadium security, the police, Kick It Out or directly to The FA.

"We work closely with key stakeholders across the game, including the Leagues and Kick It Out, to make it clear that football is an inclusive game and that discrimination, in any form, will not be tolerated."

'Some clubs see football policing as escapable costs'
Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts, from the National Police Chief's Council, says the scale of the problem could be worse but there are not enough police present at matches to respond to and report incidents, particularly in the lower divisions.

DCC Roberts has criticised some football clubs for cutting back on policing costs while simultaneously paying millions of pounds on transfers and wages.

"There's a problem with policing numbers at lower-league matches in particular. Some Football League clubs see football policing as escapable costs," he said.

"They're more than happy to pay extortionate fees to agents for sometimes average players in terms of salary and transfer fees but the policing bill seems to be one they think they can cut back on, and I think that's a false economy.

"Home Office statistics show football disorder remains at concerning levels - over the past two seasons, incidents reported are at more than 1,000 fixtures, and worryingly, this is becoming the new normality.

"With the absence of police officers to witness and respond, we are reliant on supporters and other agencies to report matters to us, so there could be a lot that goes unreported.

"There is also a reluctance from the leagues to share safety officer's reports with us at a national level."

Government data from the Home Office also showed:

Stoke (80) had the highest number of arrests, 62 of which were related to a single match - their Checkatrade Trophy trip to local rivals Port Vale in December 2018.
Leeds (49) and Aston Villa (42) had the next highest number of arrests.
The number of arrests for racist and indecent chanting fell from 15 in 2017-18 to 14 in 2018-19.
However, that is still twice the number of arrests - seven - for the same offence in 2016-17.
The most common types of offences were public disorder (38%) and violent disorder (19%).
Stoke supporters were issued the highest number of new banning orders during the 2018-19 season - 46.
Newcastle have the most banning orders overall at 71.
It is the seventh consecutive year reported incidents of discrimination within football have increased, and the 581 total reports of hate crime is more than double the figure from five years ago.

The 152 matches at which there was racist abuse was an increase of 51% on the previous year.

England star Sterling, 24, has spoken out on social media, suggesting newspapers' portrayal of black players fed prejudice and aggressive behaviour.

The Manchester City forward has been praised for being a role model and won last season's Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award.

In a statement, Stoke said: "The latest Home Office statistics do not make for pleasant reading, but to provide some context 62 of the 80 arrests were as a result of anti-social behaviour that occurred both during and after the Checkatrade Trophy fixture against Port Vale in December 2018.

"Of the other 18 arrests, only five of those were made at home fixtures at the bet365 Stadium where, working in partnership with the police and authorities, we are continuing to do everything we can to try and eradicate anti-social behaviour from football."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49752486
 
THE FA, PREMIER LEAGUE AND EFL MEET WITH TWITTER

The FA, Premier League and EFL today met Twitter with respect to the ongoing concerns surrounding discriminatory and hateful conduct taking place on the platform.

The meeting was productive and positive, and gave both the football authorities and Twitter an opportunity to examine some of the specific issues around this unacceptable behaviour both online and offline.

All parties agreed to take these constructive discussions forward.

http://www.thefa.com/news/2019/sep/20/the-fa-efl-and-premier-league-meet-twitter-200919
 
Italian football should apply English-style punishments to supporters guilty of racism, says Gianni Infantino, the president of world governing body Fifa.

Sunday's game between Atalanta and Fiorentina was halted after reports of racist chanting, the latest in a line of similar incidents in Italy.

In England, fans who engage in racist behaviour face stadium bans.

"You can't have racism in society or in football," said Infantino. "In Italy, the situation hasn't improved."

Fiorentina's Brazilian wing-back Dalbert told the referee he had been the target of racist chanting and the Serie A match, which finished 2-2, was temporarily suspended.

An announcement was read out over the public address system and the game continued.

Last week, Cagliari were cleared of racist chanting towards Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku in a Serie A match.

That was the third time Cagliari have been investigated for alleged racist abuse in the past two years. Previous cases involved Moise Kean, the Italy forward now at Everton, and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi, Kean's then Juventus team-mate - but no action was taken on either occasion.

"Racism is combated with education, condemnation and discussion," added Infantino.

"You need to identify those responsible and throw them out of the stadiums. You need, as in England, the certainty of the penalty. You can't be afraid to condemn racists, we need to combat them until they stop."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49793650
 
Bernardo Silva: Kick It Out calls on FA to act over Man City player's tweet

The Football Association has written to Manchester City to ask the club for its response to a tweet sent by midfielder Bernardo Silva.

Silva compared City team-mate Benjamin Mendy to the character on the packet of Conguitos - a sweet brand available in Spain and Portugal.

The anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out had earlier called on the FA to act after the governing body confirmed it was investigating.

Manchester City declined to comment.

"We are extremely disappointed to see the tweet posted by Bernardo Silva," said the anti-discrimination body.

The post was published at 12:44 BST on Sunday but was deleted at 13:30.

Bernardo then tweeted: "Can't even joke with a friend these days."

France defender Mendy and Silva are close friends and played together at Monaco before both joined City in 2017.

Mendy responded to the tweet and did not appear to take offence. A previous video of Silva joking with Mendy has also been passed on to the FA.

A Kick It Out statement added: "Racist stereotypes are never acceptable as 'banter', and we're shocked that someone who is a role model to millions has failed to understand the discriminatory nature of his post.

"The FA has been notified and we believe that retrospective action should be taken, including mandatory education - which is vital to challenge offensive behaviour such as this."

https://t.co/tCi8fbwbFG
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can’t even joke with a friend these days... You guys... &#55358;&#56614;&#55356;&#57339;*♂️</p>— Bernardo Silva (@BernardoCSilva) <a href="https://twitter.com/BernardoCSilva/status/1175749378071511040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
West Ham United statement

West Ham United are disgusted by the contents of a video circulating on social media on Monday evening, filmed near the start of the 2018/19 season. We have taken immediate action to identify the offender and have subsequently handed our evidence to the Metropolitan Police. Additionally, the individual concerned will be banned for life from London Stadium.

The Club is unequivocal in its stance - we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abhorrent behaviour. Equality and diversity is at the heart of the Football Club and we are committed to continue ensuring that everyone who enters London Stadium is free to enjoy watching their team play football in an inclusive environment.

https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2019/september/24-september/west-ham-united-statement
 
Abdullah719 said:
Bernardo Silva: Kick It Out calls on FA to act over Man City player's tweet

The Football Association has written to Manchester City to ask the club for its response to a tweet sent by midfielder Bernardo Silva.

Silva compared City team-mate Benjamin Mendy to the character on the packet of Conguitos - a sweet brand available in Spain and Portugal.

The anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out had earlier called on the FA to act after the governing body confirmed it was investigating.

Manchester City declined to comment.

"We are extremely disappointed to see the tweet posted by Bernardo Silva," said the anti-discrimination body.

The post was published at 12:44 BST on Sunday but was deleted at 13:30.

Bernardo then tweeted: "Can't even joke with a friend these days."

France defender Mendy and Silva are close friends and played together at Monaco before both joined City in 2017.

Mendy responded to the tweet and did not appear to take offence. A previous video of Silva joking with Mendy has also been passed on to the FA.

A Kick It Out statement added: "Racist stereotypes are never acceptable as 'banter', and we're shocked that someone who is a role model to millions has failed to understand the discriminatory nature of his post.

"The FA has been notified and we believe that retrospective action should be taken, including mandatory education - which is vital to challenge offensive behaviour such as this."

https://t.co/tCi8fbwbFG
Click to expand...

It would be a "mistake" to punish Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva for a tweet about team-mate Benjamin Mendy, says boss Pep Guardiola.

The Football Association wrote to City after Mendy was compared to a character on a packet of Conguitos - a sweet brand available in Spain and Portugal.

"There are many situations with white people where a cartoon will look similar," Guardiola said. "The response from Mendy was clear. They are joking all the time."

The post was published at 12:44 BST on Sunday but was deleted at 13:30, although Portugal international Bernardo later tweeted: "Can't even joke with a friend these days."

Holders Man City ease past Preston
Silva, 25, played the full 90 minutes of City's 3-0 win at Preston in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday.

Guardiola said: "Bernardo is one of the most lovely people I've met in my life. He speaks four or five languages - that's the best way to understand how open-minded he is.

"One of his best friends is Mendy. He's like a brother. He took a picture of Benjamin when he was young and related it with this cartoon, quite similar for the image."

"If they (the FA) want to do that (talk to Silva), Bernardo will be open to talk. But first you have to know which person you are talking about.

"If something happens it will be a mistake because Bernardo is an exceptional person. It's nothing to do with colour of skin or nationality."

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out has called on the FA to act after the governing body said it was investigating.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49820205
 
Benjamin Mendy tweet row: Bernardo Silva an exceptional person, says Pep Guardiola

Bernardo Silva has been defended again by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after accusations of racism following a tweet to team-mate Benjamin Mendy.

The Football Association wrote to City after Mendy was compared to a character on a packet of Conguitos - a sweet brand available in Spain and Portugal.

Silva was criticised for the post and deleted it, but Guardiola has called him an "exceptional person".

"It was a simple joke but if someone is offended I can understand it," he said.

"Bernardo is maybe going to take a lesson and it's not going to happen again."

Silva has personally written to the FA to say he regrets the fact his social media post may have unintentionally caused offence.

Mendy has also written in support of Bernardo, saying he did not take offence.

Guardiola, who previously said it would be a 'mistake' to punish Silva, added: "If someone is affected or feels bad about that tweet or any comments, it can happen. People judging Bernardo don't know him.

"Bernardo is not absolutely guilty because his intention... it was just a joke.

"It's a cartoon and the face is quite similar. The same happened a thousand million times with white people. It's the same. It was just a joke and that's all. But if the people in the FA think it's the opposite then Bernardo and City are open to listening."

The post was published at 12:44 BST on Sunday but was deleted at 13:30, although Portugal international Silva later tweeted: "Can't even joke with a friend these days."

France defender Mendy and Silva are close friends and played together at Monaco before both joined City in 2017.

A previous video of Silva joking with Mendy has also been passed on to the FA.

But a Kick It Out statement said: "Racist stereotypes are never acceptable as 'banter', and we're shocked that someone who is a role model to millions has failed to understand the discriminatory nature of his post."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49855441
 
Manchester City's Bernardo Silva has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association over a tweet he sent to team-mate Benjamin Mendy.

Silva compared Mendy to the character on a packet of Conguitos - a sweet brand available in Spain and Portugal.

The Portugal player, 25, is alleged to have committed an "aggravated breach" of FA rules as it included reference "expressed or implied, to race and/or colour and/or ethnic origin".

Silva has until 9 October to respond.

Silva is an "exceptional person" - Guardiola
The post was published at 12:44 BST on 22 September but was deleted at 13:30, although Silva later tweeted: "Can't even joke with a friend these days."

The FA subsequently contacted City for their observations, while Silva has written to the governing body to say he regrets the fact his social media post may have unintentionally caused offence.

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out criticised the post and urged the FA to act, adding that "racist stereotypes are never acceptable as 'banter'".

In a statement on Wednesday, the FA said Silva's activity is alleged to have been "insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute".

Silva has been repeatedly defended by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who said it would be a "mistake" to punish his playmaker for the tweet.

England forward Raheem Sterling supported Silva against accusations of racism, saying it was "a situation between two friends".

Mendy has also written in support of Silva, saying he did not take offence at the tweet.

France defender Mendy and Silva are close friends and played together at Monaco before both joined City in 2017.

A previous video of Silva joking with Mendy has also been passed on to the FA.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49906026
 
Leicester 'appalled' after Hamza Choudhury suffers racist abuse on social media

Leicester say they are "appalled" by online racist abuse directed at their midfielder Hamza Choudhury and have reported it to the police.

The Loughborough-born midfielder, who is of mixed Bangladeshi and Caribbean descent, was racially abused on social media following Leicester's 2-1 loss at Liverpool.

A Leicester City spokesman told Sky Sports News: "We are appalled by these comments, which the club has reported to the police and to the social media platform on which they were made.

"Discriminatory behaviour has no place in football or in society and we will seek the strongest possible course of action to be taken against those responsible."

Choudhury, who last month signed a new four-year deal at Leicester, appeared as an 86th-minute substitute for James Maddison at Anfield on Saturday.

The England U21 international was in the thick of the action straight away, picking up a yellow card for a challenge on Mohamed Salah three minutes after coming on.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was dismayed by the tackle on Salah, telling Sky Sports after the game he "cannot get over the Choudhury yellow card" and urged the player to calm down.

Choudhury drew criticism from Newcastle boss Steve Bruce in August after a tackle on Matt Ritchie left the midfielder with ankle ligament damage.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers leapt to the player's defence after the incident, saying: "I see him every day in training. He's aggressive but he's fair and honest."

Manchester United duo Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford and Chelsea pair Tammy Abraham and Kurt Zouma are among the Premier League players that have suffered racist abuse on social media this season.
https://www.skysports.com/football/...houdhury-suffers-racist-abuse-on-social-media
 
Euro 2020 qualifier: Czech Republic v England
Venue: Sinobo Stadium, Prague Date: Friday 11 October, 19:45 BST

Tammy Abraham says England are prepared to walk off the pitch if they are targeted by racist abuse in their Euro 2020 qualifiers this week.

England face the Czech Republic on Friday - then play Bulgaria on Monday in a partially-closed stadium because of fans' racist behaviour in June.

"If it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us," Abraham said.

"Harry Kane even said that if we're not happy, if a player is not happy, we all come off the pitch together."

Uefa ordered the partial closure of Bulgaria's national stadium following racist behaviour by their fans in Euro 2020 qualifying games against the Czech Republic and Kosovo in June.

In August, Bulgarian club sides PFC Levski Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv were punished by Uefa for racism during Europa League games.

England manager Gareth Southgate said last month that he would talk to the players before next week's game, and Abraham says the players have decided they will take matters into their own hands if necessary.

Uefa's three-step protocol for racial abuse ends with the officials abandoning a match if announcements inside a stadium do not stop the problem.

"We did speak about that [the protocol]," Abraham said. "Harry Kane did ask the question about instead of going through the three steps, if we decide that we want to stop the game - no matter what the score is - if we're not happy with it, as a team we'll decide whether or not to stay on the pitch.

"If it happens and let's say there's a warning or whatever in the stadium, then it happens again, we have to make a decision as a team and with the staff."

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings says that it is "disappointing" to have to deal with racism in football in 2019 but echoed Southgate's comments from last year that England still has work to do on home soil.

Villa's 5-1 win at Norwich last Saturday was followed by the club saying they are "disgusted and appalled" by footage of supporters singing a racist song which references two first-team players.

"It highlights the fact that our own country isn't perfect," Mings told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The fact that we talk about it [racism] in foreign countries, in other European countries that aren't necessarily as diverse is one thing, but there are issues going on in this country [England] as well, which is far from ideal.

"Both are issues that people should never get bored of talking about. If they are happening they have to be brought to light by people who have a voice like us. We have to address it, we have to get it right somehow.

"There have been great strides to try to eradicate racism from football. It's a society issue."



https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49980927
 
England players' plan to leave the pitch if they are racially abused during Monday's Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia has been called "offensive" by Bulgaria's Football Union.

The game will be played in a partially closed stadium following Bulgaria fans' racist behaviour at games in June.

In a letter to European football's governing body Uefa, BFU president Borislav Mihaylov called England's plans "the unjust branding of local spectators as people inclined to discriminatory behaviour".

England forward Tammy Abraham said on Wednesday that the players are prepared to "all come off the pitch together" if they are "not happy".

Bulgaria supporters were found guilty of racist behaviour against Kosovo and the Czech Republic in their Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Uefa ordered that 5,000 of the 46,340 seats at the Vasil Levski stadium in Sofia be blocked off for the game with England and 3,000 against the Czech Republic next month.

Mihaylov wrote: "The Bulgarian public has in no way committed any recent infringements that deserve it to be stereotyped as 'racist' or 'hostile'.

"I am sure you will agree that these accusations are not only unjust but are continuous attempts to disrupt the atmosphere before a very much anticipated game of football.

"We are aware of the recent problems with racist behaviour in all tiers of English club football and with England's ongoing battle with hooliganism.

"Although we sincerely applaud the FA's initiative for the English fans to report trouble within the visiting crowd, we are extremely shocked at all efforts to involve and even mark out the Bulgarian spectators as potential troublemakers."

England manager Gareth Southgate said last month that he would talk to his players before the Bulgaria game.

Mihaylov added: "Following the communication with Greg Clarke (FA chairman) I was informed that Mr Southgate's concerns were mainly due to the fact that Bulgaria received a Uefa sanction for racist chants in 2011.

"Even though I view these comments as disregarding of all the work that the BFU has done over these eight years, I truly believed that our federation's immediate reaction would result in a more constructive handling of public and media matters in the eve of the game in Sofia."

Uefa's three-step protocol for racial abuse ends with the officials abandoning a match if announcements inside a stadium do not stop the problem.

In August, Bulgarian club sides PFC Levski Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv were punished by Uefa for racism during Europa League games.



https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50004603
 
Racism in football is just an extension of the current society.

England to threaten to walk off is foolish. There is racism or racist chants in the Premier league but no team has walked off. Seems unfair on the nation of Bulgaria.
 
England: Gareth Southgate understands Bulgaria reaction to racism concerns

England manager Gareth Southgate says he understands the Bulgarian football authorities' fury at suggestions racism could overshadow Monday's Euro 2020 qualifier.

Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham said on Wednesday England's players would be prepared to walk off if they suffered similar abuse to that directed at them during March's qualifier in Montenegro.

Southgate, speaking in Prague before Friday's meeting with the Czech Republic, has held a meeting with his players explaining the official three-step Uefa protocol to handling such incidents - but England's concerns prompted an angry reaction from BFU president Borislav Mihaylov.

In a letter to Uefa, he called England's remarks "the unjust branding of local spectators as people inclined to discriminatory behaviour".

Monday's game against Bulgaria will be played in a partially closed stadium, with 5,000 of the 46,000 seats to be left empty following racist behaviour by Bulgaria fans against Kosovo and the Czech Republic in June, something Mihaylov does not address in his letter.

However, Southgate said: "I can totally understand why the Bulgarian president feels as he does because we have purely been responding honestly to questions we have been asked.

"That has been relayed to Bulgaria in whatever way it has been relayed and the way it has been pitched could appear provocative, or that we are the people laying the subject on the table.

"So, if I was him, and I was only reading those quotes and not knowing the context of why the things were said and the responses, then I would feel probably as he does.

"We are not trying to create a situation at all, far from it. We're all hoping that over the next 72 hours we're just talking about two football matches.

"I think both countries would have a strong desire for that and I have to say again, we don't look at other countries in a way that we don't shine a mirror on our own."

Southgate said: "What happened in Hartlepool a couple of weeks ago was probably worse than things I've seen or heard about in many other countries in the world. So, I think we have to be very careful in how we cover everything."

There were allegations of racist abuse in a game between Hartlepool United and Dover Athletic in September.

Uefa protocol decrees that in the event of racist chanting the referee will ask for an announcement to be broadcast in the stadium, and if it does not stop he or she will take the players off, initially temporarily but permanently if necessary.

Southgate added: "The most important thing for me was that all of the players and all of the staff know that they're supported, that we're together on every issue moving forward and then of course, inevitably, because we've suffered a situation in Montenegro, we wanted to be clear what might happen if something happened in the future.

"We're very clear on that. There is of course the Uefa process and we need to have faith in that process.

"Recently, a game was stopped in Italy because of that and then everything else is hypothetical because we don't know the situation that we'll be in as a team, or that I'll be in as a manager. But, we're very clear in terms of all of the staff, what would need to happen. We want the players to be able to concentrate on football. They want to be judged on their football and what I've got to do is provide a safe and secure environment to play."

England striker Raheem Sterling admitted the squad were not prepared for the abuse they received in Podgorica but now there must be faith in Uefa's system.

He said: "With the situation that happened in Montenegro, I don't think that as a team we were quite prepared and knowing that there was a protocol in place.

"We had a meeting as a group and Gareth sat us down and explained Uefa's protocol and now, as players, we've got to give Uefa a chance to take that responsibility on board and deal with the situation. But, yes, I have got full faith in Uefa."

England have maximum points from their four qualifiers and victory in Prague on Friday will confirm qualification for Euro 2020.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50004806
 
Euro 2020 qualifying: Bulgaria coach believes England has 'bigger' racism problem

Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov has accused England of having a bigger racism problem than his own country before the Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia on Monday.

The build-up to the game has been overshadowed by fears England's players could be subjected to abuse after they were targeted during the qualifier against Montenegro in Podgorica in March.

England will face Bulgaria with a section of the Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski closed following incidents of racism during games against Kosovo and the Czech Republic in June, with Uefa ordering that 5,000 of the 46,340 seats be blocked off for Monday's game and 3,000 against Czech Republic in November.

England manager Gareth Southgate held a meeting with his players to underline the Uefa protocol in dealing with such incidents - but the subject has provoked an angry response from the Bulgarian football authorities and now coach Balakov has also hit back defiantly.

Bulgaria Football Union president Borislav Mihaylov wrote a letter of complaint to Uefa about "unjust branding" while Balakov said: "What I can say is that I don't think we have a problem.

"In the Bulgarian championship, we have a lot of players of different ethnicities and skin colour. I don't think that we have this big problem like, for example, England do."

Asked to elaborate, Balakov added: "What I meant was that in the Bulgarian championship we've not had such problems while there have been incidents in various levels of English football involving racism, which I consider something normal because it's a big country with a very diverse population.

"But we don't have this problem in Bulgaria, I can assure you of that."

Uefa protocol decrees that in the event of racist chanting the referee will ask for an announcement to be broadcast in the stadium, and if it does not stop he or she will take the players off, initially temporarily but permanently if necessary.

England captain Harry Kane said: "We had a meeting about things that could happen but again they might not happen. There is a protocol in place but from my point of view we are here to do a job on the pitch and obviously we don't want to have to cross that bridge."

Southgate has made it clear on several occasions that England must get its own house in order on racism before accusing others, pointing out the recent incidents of racism in the game between Hartlepool United and Dover Athletic.

He said in Sofia on Sunday: "I've always said we have as many issues to resolve as anyone else. So, everyone wants us to be talking about football and for the players of both teams, the same.

"We had to prepare our players because of what happened to us in Montenegro. This was a process that we needed to go through before our next away fixtures.

"Outside of that, we trust the authorities to make sure everything is in place."

Southgate has also admitted he understood the frustrations of the Bulgarian football hierarchy, while Balakov said: "I would like to focus on football because at the end of the day we're all civilised Europeans and we're all working for this sport and that's all the matters."

Balakov, questioned on whether England's players had anything to fear, added: "Once again, it's not an issue that has happened recently in the national team games, meaning racist chants or whatever.

"I would once again advise people to think and talk about football because this is the reason why we're actually here. And we should not discuss something that has not even happened yet."

Southgate, meanwhile, was also asked about Leicester City's James Maddison, who was pictured in a casino after he was released from the squad for the two qualifiers because of illness.

He said: "Well once a player has been released from the squad, then it's up to them how they spend their individual time.

"So, I guess when there is an involvement with England, he has to learn that there's an increased interest you in you and increased interest in your personal and private life as well, so that goes with the territory.

"It's a high-profile position."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50036774
 
England's Euro 2020 qualifier with Bulgaria in Sofia was halted twice in the first half with fans warned about racist behaviour.

The first pause came in the 28th minute with England leading 2-0.

A stadium announcement then condemned the abuse before stating the match would be abandoned if it continued.

However, the game was stopped again in the 43rd minute before restarting after discussions between the referee and England manager Gareth Southgate.

The Levski Stadium was subject to a partial closure for this match after Bulgaria were sanctioned for racist chanting during qualifiers against Kosovo and the Czech Republic.

The build-up to the game had been dominated by concerns of potential incidents of racism, with England striker Tammy Abraham saying the players would be prepared to walk off the pitch if they were targeted by racist abuse.

Southgate held a meeting with his players over the weekend to underline the Uefa three-step protocol in dealing with racist incidents - but the subject has provoked an angry response from the Bulgarian football authorities.

Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov had accused England of having a bigger racism problem than his own country.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50048932
 
The Bulgarian fans will get the media coverage, but some England fans were also doing Nazi salutes.
 
Saj said:
The Bulgarian fans will get the media coverage, but some England fans were also doing Nazi salutes.
Click to expand...

England fans have a long history of racism. I was at England v Turkey and the turks were subjected to racism by thousands of fans. Heck we also recently had Villa fans being racist to their own players! They need to accept their own issues with racism first.
 
Congrats to England for walking out when players were being racially abused by Bulgarian thugs. If FIFA won't do anything about it then the players must take action like they did. If racist fans pay good money to watch matches then refuse to entertain them that wastes their money completely. The UK may have certain problems but is still way better then nightmare Eastern Europe countries where their seems to be no law at all. England are such a multi racial team now that such behaviour can't be tolerated, the black people in particular are sick and tired of turning the other cheek. This is almost 2020 not the 1970's when NF hooligans were openly threatening the likes of John Barnes.
 
England's Euro 2020 qualifier in Bulgaria was halted twice as fans were warned about racist behaviour including Nazi salutes and monkey chanting.

The first pause came in the 28th minute with England leading 2-0.

A stadium announcement then condemned the abuse before stating the match would be abandoned if it continued.

However, the game was stopped again in the 43rd minute before restarting after discussions between the referee and England manager Gareth Southgate.

England went on to win 6-0 in Sofia to strengthen their place at the top of Group A.

'One of the most appalling nights I've seen in football'
Football Association chairman Greg Clarke was at the game and witnessed the abuse first hand, saying it had left a number of the England players and staff visibly upset.

"I heard examples of appalling racist chanting," he said.

"I was looking at a group of people, all in black - about 50 of them - who were making what looked like political fascist gestures. I couldn't be sure, it was 100 metres away but it looked appalling.

"I've spoken to one or two of the players and I've also spoken to one or two of the backroom staff, because we don't just have a multiracial team, we have a multiracial backroom staff.

"They were visibly emotionally upset, and I spoke to Gareth after the game too and I offered him our full support."

Clarke says he expects European football's governing body Uefa to conduct a thorough review of the incident.

"Uefa, who I've spoken to throughout the game, at half-time and at the end of the game, will be carrying out a thorough investigation to make sure this appalling scene of terrible racism is treated appropriately," he said.

In a statement, the FA confirmed England players were subjected to "abhorrent racist chanting" and that it was "unacceptable at any level of the game".

England defender Tyrone Mings, who was making his international debut, said the players had decided as a group at half-time to continue the game.

"Just before the end of the first half the appropriate next step was to return to the changing room," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We made a common-sense decision to play the remaining few minutes and decided at half-time. Everybody made the decision. The manager, the team, the supporting staff. We spoke about it at half-time and we dealt with it and escalated it in the right way.

"I am proud of how we dealt with it and took the appropriate steps."

The Vasil Levski Stadium was subject to a partial closure for this match after Bulgaria were sanctioned for racist behaviour of fans during qualifiers against Kosovo and the Czech Republic in June.

The build-up to the game had been dominated by concerns of potential incidents of racism, with England striker Tammy Abraham saying the players would be prepared to walk off the pitch if they were targeted.

Southgate held a meeting with his players over the weekend to underline the Uefa three-step protocol in dealing with racist incidents - but the subject provoked an angry response from the Bulgarian football authorities.

Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov had accused England of having a bigger racism problem than his own country.

After making a pass, England defender Mings glanced over his shoulder and could be heard calling towards the touchline: "Did you hear that?"

Within minutes the game was stopped.

Striker Harry Kane was in conversation with referee Ivan Bebek on the halfway line while a stadium announcement was made to condemn racist abuse and warn fans that the game could be abandoned if it continued. At the same time, England manager Southgate was talking to a number of his players.

The game resumed but was stopped again just before half-time. Southgate and several England players were in discussion with match officials before the game was restarted for a second time.

A group of Bulgaria supporters wearing black hooded tops - some wearing bandanas covering their faces - started to leave the stadium after the game was halted for a second time. BBC Radio 5 Live reported that some made right-wing and racist gestures while heading towards the exits.

After six minutes of time added at the end of the first half because of the delay, Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov was seen in a heated debate with a section of home supporters near the tunnel while the rest of the players headed for the dressing rooms for half-time.

What is Uefa's approach to dealing with incidents of racism?
Uefa has a three-step protocol, introduced in 2009, in place for dealing with such incidents in matches.

For the first step, the referee will speak to the stadium announcer and demand the halting of racist behaviour.

If it continues, the referee can take the players off the field into the dressing rooms for a period of time and the stadium announcer will make another address.

If it still continues, the match will be abandoned.

In this incident, the first step was taken. The players were asked if they wanted to come off the pitch, but decided to continue.

Southgate said: "I explained to the players that if anything else did happen in the second half we would be coming off.

"We all saw the second half was calmer and that allowed our players to do their talking with the football."

Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling scored twice, while Marcus Rashford and Kane were also on target in a win which moves England to the brink of a place at Euro 2020.

'There can be no more pitiful fines or short stadium bans'
This is not the first time in England's Euro 2020 qualifying campaign that their players have been subjected to racist abuse.

In March Sterling was vocal in condemning the abuse received by England players during their 5-1 win in Montenegro.

Montenegro's punishment was to have two home games played behind closed doors and a fine of 20,000 euros (£17,000).

Anti-racism group Kick it Out has urged Uefa to take strong action, saying the governing body's current sanctions are "not fit for purpose".

"We are sickened by the disgusting racist abuse directed at England men's team by Bulgaria supporters - including TV footage which appeared to show Nazi salutes and monkey noises," it said.

"It's now time for Uefa to step up and show some leadership. For far too long, they have consistently failed to take effective action. The fact Bulgaria are already hosting this game with a partial stadium closure for racist abuse shows that Uefa's sanctions are not fit for purpose.

"There can be no more pitiful fines or short stadium bans. If Uefa cares at all about tackling discrimination - and if the Equal Game campaign means anything - then points deductions and tournament expulsion must follow."

Uefa told BBC Sport any action in response to Monday's events would have to follow on from a disciplinary committee, which in turn has to wait for a referee's report.

'This is a seminal moment'
Former England striker Ian Wright, a pundit for Match of the Day who was covering the game for ITV Sport, said what happened in Sofia could be a "seminal moment" for the issue of racism in football.

"It's a fantastic moment," he said, referring to the players' response to the abuse. "What is good about it is we have a generation of players - not just black players - who won't tolerate it any more.

"This is the 'by any means necessary' generation. They don't need to take that any more when they have their own platforms and the protocol to stick to.

"It's a great day. I feel really good watching this. We have had so many games where we have had this racial abuse and people say 'just beat them on the pitch'. It doesn't do anything. Today, they won because [the abusers] had to leave."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50048932
 
Last edited:
Just hideous.

I’ve gone right off football, and this is one of the many reasons why.
 
I felt proud to be British again last night. Our team was united in the face if the racist abuse, and the racists were made to leave. The protocol was implemented and worked.
 
Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov said he did not hear any racist chanting during his side's 6-0 Euro 2020 qualifier defeat by England on Monday.

Play was halted twice in the first half because of abuse from the stands and England players had the option to walk off the pitch, but chose to continue.

Balakov said he would be "truly sorry if it did turn out to be true" but said there had been no such problems before.

"I personally did not hear the chanting," Balakov said.

"I saw the referee stopped the game but I also have to say the behaviour was also not only on behalf of the Bulgarian fans but also the English fans, who were whistling and shouting during the Bulgarian national anthem.

"During the second half they used words against our fans which I find unacceptable."

The Vasil Levski Stadium was subject to a partial closure for this match after Bulgaria were sanctioned for racist behaviour during qualifiers against Kosovo and the Czech Republic.

"This has not happened to us before," said Balakov, whose translator added that the disciplinary measures imposed on Bulgaria by Uefa were not because of racist chanting but "because of a banner of an organisation that is not forbidden by Bulgarian law".

"We've had this problem ever since England were about to come to Bulgaria and all I've heard for three weeks is people talking about anything else but football. I don't think this was the proper manner to prepare and play a football game.

"If this turns out to be true we are truly sorry and we as the Bulgarian Football Union and the Bulgaria national team are working very hard."

Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov had been seen talking to a group of Bulgaria supporters at half-time, prompting England striker Marcus Rashford to praise his "courage".

Balakov says he was unaware Popov spoke to some fans at half-time, adding: "It is probably because the fans were unhappy with the way the team was performing."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50050684
 
Robert said:
I felt proud to be British again last night. Our team was united in the face if the racist abuse, and the racists were made to leave. The protocol was implemented and worked.
Click to expand...

I'm also an England football fan, however the British were the first to adopt the Yob mentality, which had an influence on the rest of Europe - last night's events were a consequence of this.
 
Bulgaria v England racism: Bulgarian prime minister calls for football chief to resign

The Bulgarian prime minister has called for the head of the country's football association to resign after England players were racially abused in a European qualifier in Sofia on Monday.

Boyko Borissov "strongly condemned" the behaviour, which included Nazi salutes and monkey chants.

The match, which England won 6-0, was halted twice because of racist behaviour by home fans.

The British government is writing to Uefa on Tuesday to demand more action.

Downing Street says Prime Minister Boris Johnson has seen the footage and he thinks it is "vile and has no place in football or anywhere else".

Bulgarian Prime Minister Borissov called his nation "one of the most tolerant countries in the world" but said it is "unacceptable" people there connect with racism and xenophobia.

"I call on Borislav Mihaylov to immediately resign as president of the Bulgarian Football Union," he said.

"After yesterday's shameful loss of the Bulgarian National Team and given the bad results of our football, I ordered to end any relationship with BFU, including financial, until the withdrawal of Borislav Mihaylov from the post."

England forward Raheem Sterling tweeted to describe the call for Mihaylov to resign as a "good move".

The Vasil Levski Stadium was already subject to a partial closure for the match after Bulgaria were sanctioned for racist behaviour during Euro 2020 qualifiers against Kosovo and the Czech Republic.

Before the match, BFU president Mihaylov had complained to Uefa about "unjust branding" after the build-up was overshadowed by fears England's players could be subjected to abuse.

Mihaylov, a former Reading goalkeeper, played at three World Cups for Bulgaria and is a member of Uefa's executive committee.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50054475
 
MenInG said:
Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov said he did not hear any racist chanting during his side's 6-0 Euro 2020 qualifier defeat by England on Monday.

Play was halted twice in the first half because of abuse from the stands and England players had the option to walk off the pitch, but chose to continue.

Balakov said he would be "truly sorry if it did turn out to be true" but said there had been no such problems before.

"I personally did not hear the chanting," Balakov said.

"I saw the referee stopped the game but I also have to say the behaviour was also not only on behalf of the Bulgarian fans but also the English fans, who were whistling and shouting during the Bulgarian national anthem.

"During the second half they used words against our fans which I find unacceptable."

The Vasil Levski Stadium was subject to a partial closure for this match after Bulgaria were sanctioned for racist behaviour during qualifiers against Kosovo and the Czech Republic.

"This has not happened to us before," said Balakov, whose translator added that the disciplinary measures imposed on Bulgaria by Uefa were not because of racist chanting but "because of a banner of an organisation that is not forbidden by Bulgarian law".

"We've had this problem ever since England were about to come to Bulgaria and all I've heard for three weeks is people talking about anything else but football. I don't think this was the proper manner to prepare and play a football game.

"If this turns out to be true we are truly sorry and we as the Bulgarian Football Union and the Bulgaria national team are working very hard."

Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov had been seen talking to a group of Bulgaria supporters at half-time, prompting England striker Marcus Rashford to praise his "courage".

Balakov says he was unaware Popov spoke to some fans at half-time, adding: "It is probably because the fans were unhappy with the way the team was performing."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50050684
Click to expand...

Jeez. Imagine being this deluded.
 
The president of the Bulgaria Football Union, Borislav Mihaylov, has resigned.

Bulgaria Prime Minister Boyko Borissov called for him to quit on Tuesday after the racist abuse of England players in the Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia.

Monday's match, which England won 6-0, was stopped twice because of racist behaviour by home fans, which included Nazi salutes and monkey chants.

The BFU said the move "is a consequence of the recent tensions" but did not mention racism in their statement.

The statement said the tensions had created "an environment that is detrimental to Bulgarian football and the Bulgarian Football Union".

It added that "Mihaylov expresses his firm readiness to continue helping in the development of Bulgarian football in every possible way".

Earlier on Tuesday, the Bulgaria prime minister "strongly condemned" the fans' behaviour and called for Mihaylov to resign "immediately".

"After yesterday's shameful loss of the Bulgarian National Team and given the bad results of our football, I ordered to end any relationship with BFU, including financial, until the withdrawal of Borislav Mihaylov from the post," he added.

Before the match, Mihaylov had complained to Uefa about "unjust branding" after the build-up was overshadowed by fears England's players could be subjected to abuse.

The Vasil Levski Stadium was already subject to a partial closure for the match after Bulgaria were sanctioned for racist behaviour during Euro 2020 qualifiers against Kosovo and the Czech Republic.

Mihaylov, a former Reading goalkeeper, played at three World Cups for Bulgaria and has been member of Uefa's executive committee since 2011.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said the "football family and governments" need to "wage war on the racists", after the abuse of England players.

Uefa told BBC Sport any action in response to Monday's events would have to follow on from a disciplinary committee, which in turn has to wait for a referee's report.

Anti-discriminatory body Fare has called for Bulgaria to be expelled from the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.

After making a pass in the first half, England defender Tyrone Mings glanced over his shoulder and could be heard calling towards the touchline: "Did you hear that?"

Shortly afterwards, in the 28th minute, the game was stopped.

Striker Harry Kane was in conversation with referee Ivan Bebek on the halfway line while a stadium announcement was made to condemn racist abuse and warn fans that the game could be abandoned if it continued. At the same time, England manager Southgate was talking to a number of his players.

The game resumed but was stopped again just before half-time. Southgate and several England players were in discussion with match officials before the game was restarted for a second time.

A group of Bulgaria supporters wearing black hooded tops - some wearing bandanas covering their faces - started to leave the stadium after the game was halted for a second time. BBC Radio 5 Live reported that some made racist gestures while heading towards the exits.

After six minutes of time added at the end of the first half because of the delay, Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov was seen in a heated debate with a section of home supporters near the tunnel while the rest of the players headed for the dressing rooms for half-time.

In line with Uefa protocol, England had the option to walk off the pitch but they continued to play the full 90 minutes.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50054475
 
topspin said:
I'm also an England football fan, however the British were the first to adopt the Yob mentality, which had an influence on the rest of Europe - last night's events were a consequence of this.
Click to expand...

Bulgarians making monkey noises at black players is due to the British? Seriously?

Let’s try and tease that out. In the seventies and eighties a racist group called the NF would recruit from football fans of English clubs. That was stamped out. Some idiots who happen to be English caused trouble abroad but there is no need to generalise this into “the British”.
 
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