Football is not doing enough against racism! Wake up, football! Support and protect your players from racist abuse!
“I’ve had enough. At the minute, how I programme myself is that I just think: ‘I’ve got five or six more years left in football and I just can’t wait to see the back of it.’ Seeing how things are done in the game at the minute … It’s just, whatever, isn’t it? I just want to get out of it. That’s how I feel. I feel I’ve got five or six more years left and I just want to enjoy football as much as I can. There is so much politics and whatever in football and I just can’t wait to see the back of it, to be honest.”
These were the honest and shattering words of Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose, who insisted he cannot wait to walk away from football bcause he is so disgusted by the racism that hangs like a dark shadow over the beautiful game. Rose, like Salomon Kalou in his interview with Soccer Laduma, has not minced his words regarding a topic that needs to be given a lot more attention. Rose and Kalou are not the only players who have spoken out about racism. Raheem Sterling, like others, did just that after being racially abused during England’s 5-1 win over Montenegro during the recent international break. Sterling, Rose and Callum Hudson-Odoi had racist abuse and monkey chants directed at them the whole game. Just a few days earlier, Germany’s Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan were racially abused by their own country’s fans – but can we even call them that? No! Someone who goes to a football match to hurl swear words and racist abuse at players should be called out for what he or she is – a racist!
Football, as a whole, needs to take a stand. Many players have spoken out but it’s not enough. Clubs and associations need to join in. Abusers need to be banned, clubs and countries need to be fined or handed stadium bans, even points deductions, if racist behaviour from the stands is a recurring phenomenon. Football stars such as Leonardo Bonucci, who recently blamed his own teammate Moise Kean for receiving racist abuse, saying the youngster was 50% to blame for the monkey chants aimed at him by Cagliari fans after celebrating in front of them, need to be educated. Yes, Bonucci apologised 24 hours later after a massive media outburst about his inexcusable comments, but this is not enough. It’s time to act, time to take a stand and kick racism out of the stadium. Football clubs and authorities are able to reach so many fans worldwide, they can change behaviour and help educate people about racism, hate and love. Danny Rose is right when he says: “It’s just a bit of a farce at the minute. So that’s where we are at in football and until there’s a harsh punishment, there’s not much else we can expect.”