Soccer tournament reveals racism at center stage

Football fans may face racist violence in UEFA host countries Poland and Ukraine.

By TIMOTHY SPANGLER
Soccer fight 150 (photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
Soccer fight 150
(photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
The best soccer-playing nations in Europe are meeting over the next two weeks in Poland and Ukraine for the UEFA European Championships.  As always, die-hard football fans across the continent and across the world will be following the fates of some of the world’s best teams.  A football tournament of this size brings with it many risks, such as fraudulent tickets, drunken escapades and even a bit of “argy-bargy” from the handfuls of hooligans who still travel in search of a fight.  However, potential travelers to host countries Poland and Ukraine face a further risk - racist violence.
The British Foreign Office has gone so far as to specifically warn Asian and black Britons to be particular careful when in Ukraine.  A widely watched British news program recently broadcast a special report on the dangers of racist attacks there.  Families of black players on the England team have refused to travel to the tournament over concerns about the risk of violence.  Former English football great Sol Campbell has recommended to his fellow black Britons to “stay at home. Watch it on TV. Don't risk it, because you could find yourself coming back in a coffin.”
Critics have complained that UEFA, the governing body of European football, have not done enough to address the problem of racism and the threat it poses both to players on the pitch and fans in and out of the stadium.  Apparently, some fail to see the harm in a few monkey chants or the occasional Nazi flag.  Michael Platini, who heads UEFA, went so far as to suggest that players would be punished if they left the field as protest for racists remarks or actions.
It is difficult to see what such a one-sided disciplinary action accomplishes, other than re-enforce the supremacy of the men in blue blazers who purport to run the sport and the lucrative commercial sponsorships that come with it.
Instead of denying the situation on the ground, UEFA should have issued a clear and unequivocal statement to the people of Poland and Ukraine that racism has no place in modern football and would not be tolerated.  If a player feels that he needs to take a stand against racist abuse, then he should not be red carded.  He should be supported.
In the days leading up to the start of the tournament, the Holland training camp in Krakow, Poland was subject to racist abuse.  Now even the most diplomatic of the game’s administrators cannot say that these concerns are imaginary.  The Dutch players have made clear their anger and frustration at these taunts.  In addition, the sole black player on the Czech team reported that he received racist abuse during his first match against Russia.
Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of Poles and Ukrainians have proved themselves to be admirable and welcoming hosts.  But the problem of racial and ethnic abuse must not be ignored. Oleg Blokhin, the manager of the Ukraine national team, has dismissed concerns over racist chanting at matches and stated categorically that “there is no racism in Ukraine.”  However, such casual dismissals do little to instill confidence that this serious problem is being adequately addressed.
Of course, racism is a problem in countries around the world.  To simply assume that any one country has “got it right” and then focus solely on criticizing the shortcoming of other countries runs the risk of sounding as out of touch and unreliable as Mr Blokhin or Mr Platini.
England itself is still wrestling the consequences of an allegation of racist abuse between two players that has cast a shadow over the chemistry and effectiveness of their national squad.   John Terry, who has served as captain of England, has been charged with racially abusing an opposing player when his club Chelsea were playing fellow west London team, Queens Park Rangers, earlier this season.  What makes these allegations all the more concerning is that the brother of the allegedly abused player has been dropped from the national team, ostensibly for “football reasons”, while Terry has retained his place.
The England team took part in a much-reported visit to Auschwitz while training in Poland, and the reactions of many of the multi-millionaire players who visited the concentration camp were genuinely moving.  Hopefully, this visit will leave these individuals with a more concrete image of the results of dehumanizing racism, when carried to its ultimate end.
Football is as much about politics and economics today as it is about the match itself.  Perhaps other sports can make that claim in their own way, but the breadth and depth of support for football around the world has always meant that it has a particularly high profile when it comes to hot button issues.
Euro 2012 looks to be a smashing success that will do its host countries proud.  Several of the games in the group stage have been real crackers.  More importantly, however, let us hope that the racist incidents in the first several days are not repeated and that the camaraderie and solidarity that often arises during important international tournaments such as this leaves a lasting impact in Poland and Ukraine.
Soccer is the beautiful game.  Fans, regardless of their race or ethnicity, should be able to enjoy it without fear for their safety.
The writer is a commentator who divides his time between the United Kingdom and Southern California. He has appeared on CNN, CNBC, BBC and Sky News, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Financial Times and The Economist.