By Staff Reporter
ROME, April 7 — Football is a sport loved and played by millions worldwide. Unfortunately, it is also a sport that is plagued with racism, with the problem not being taken seriously enough. The recent incident involving Romelu Lukaku has highlighted the issue once again. The Inter Milan striker was racially abused during a football match, and despite trying to silence the racists, he was essentially sent off, which proves that football doesn’t care enough about tackling abuse.
Racism remains rampant in Italy: The problem of racism has never been taken seriously in Italy, with countless catchy slogans and messages of support from the authorities but no meaningful action. It’s been ten years since former AC Milan star Kevin Prince-Boateng walked off the field after being subjected to racist abuse in a mid-season friendly with Pro Patria, in what should have been a watershed moment in football’s fight against racism. Racism remains rampant in Italian football, and players of colour have been admonished for defiantly celebrating goals in front of those who had been racially abusing them. For instance, Moise Kean did likewise against Cagliari back in 2019, and he wasn’t just accused of provoking the fans by the Sardinian club’s president Tommaso Giulini but was also criticised by his own teammate, Leonardo Bonucci. Influential figures in Italian football simply cannot comprehend the problem, making it challenging to find a solution.
Pitiful and pointless punishments: Incidents of racism, antisemitism, sexism, and territorialism happen weekly in Italian football. The disciplinary commission issues pitiful and pointless punishments. For instance, in the Rome derby just before the international break, some Lazio fans chanted antisemitic slogans, while one supporter sported a jersey with the name ‘Hitlerson’ on the back, just above the number 88 – another reference to a man responsible for the murder of millions of Jews. The Curva Nord was closed for one game, but the sentence was suspended. Last weekend, a group of Roma fans repeatedly referred to visiting Sampdoria coach Dejan Stankovic as a ‘zingaro’ (‘gipsy’). The Giallorossi were fined just €8,000 (£7,000/$9,000), with the authorities explaining that the sentence had been mitigated by the actions of coach Jose Mourinho, who had gestured to the Roma fans to stop abusing his former player. Mourinho’s intervention was admirable, but it should not have resulted in a more lenient ruling, as the punishments remain pointless as long as they remain pitiful.
Football’s governing bodies not doing enough: Football’s governing bodies, along with clubs and local authorities, are duty-bound to at least attempt to control what happens inside the stadium. Regarding the recent episode involving Lukaku, it was encouraging to see Juventus proactively attempting to identify the culprits to sanction them properly. But nobody is doing enough, and Serie A’s subsequent statement was devoid of any substance, not even specifically referencing the Lukaku abuse. Even Inter’s reaction was embarrassingly weak. Agencies are doing a better job of protecting players than football’s governing bodies.
Conclusion: Football is a game loved and played by millions worldwide, but it’s also plagued with racism, which remains a significant problem in Italy. Unfortunately, football’s governing bodies and local authorities are not doing enough to address the problem, resulting in pitiful and pointless punishments. Until these authorities take appropriate action, players of colour will continue to face racist abuse, and the game will continue to suffer. It’s time for football’s governing bodies to step up and take the necessary steps to eradicate racism from the sport. – Namibia Daily News
Wow, what a shocker – football has a racism problem! Who would have thought? Despite countless slogans and messages of support from authorities in Italy, racism remains rampant in the sport. The punishment for racist incidents is just pitiful and pointless, with the disciplinary commission handing out fines that are barely a slap on the wrist. And don’t even get us started on the governing bodies’ lack of action – they’re doing such a great job of protecting players (not). Until they actually step up and take meaningful action, players of colour will continue to face racist abuse on the field. Bravo, football, bravo.
