5 Worst Moments of Racism in Football
We stand in a globalised era where all nations have opened their doors to each other and are moving towards an integrated society. But all of this development seems for nought when one encounters discriminatory incidents that make it clear that people are yet to open their minds when it comes to accepting each other.
Football has a massive and passionate fanbase all over the world. The sport has been marred again and again with incidents of racism not only by the authorities or players but by the fans themselves.
There is even a charity called “Kick It Out” that works to combat racism in football. People of colour become easy targets and are repeatedly faced with open displays of such vitriolic abuse. Though over the years the players have protested in their ways, the issue is far from abated.
An iconic gesture by Dani Alves, a Barcelona right back in 2014 comes to mind here. When a banana was thrown at the young player, in a quick move he picked it up, took a bite and threw it off before hitting the ball.
He later tweeted his comments, satirising the incident. What Alves did may not seem like much but becomes immensely important in the face of staunch bigotry. If you are an ardent fan of the game and have been around for a while, you might remember various instances where players have nearly walked off the field in response to such incidents.
The brave stance that Kevin constant took in a pre-season match when he walked off remains fresh in the memory. His face covered in tears has become a symbolic image of the sad reality about the biases that are so prevalent.
Following the protests from the players, there have been many arrests at the game for indecent actions of the audience members. That, however, has not deterred many white supremacist fans from crossing boundaries and spilling hate all over.
These continued incidents of discrimination on the basis of one’s race, origin and skin colour remain a marring truth over the glory of the game.
Here are five such incidents in the history of football that defy belief: