Racism in Spanish Football
on May 6, 2005
Category: Sport, Racism, Football
This month’s Guardian Sports Monthly has a feature on racism in Spanish football by Martin Jacques (former editor of Marxism Today fame). Most of you are probably not aware that amongst my many and diverse interests are football - not the American type with 10s of giants running around in fancy dress crashing into each other for hours on end - but the real stuff known by aficionados as "the beautiful game" - soccer, football, futball, fuutbal and so on.
Racism is rampant in the game here in Europe. The English FA (Football Association) has made considerable strides in ridding the national sport of racial abuse in the stands, dressing rooms and on the field through its Kick racism out of football campaign. This is not to say as Jacques quite rightly points out, that racism does not exist in English football because it most certainly does at all levels. Commentators, 99.9% of managers, coaches, FA officials, agents, referees are all white. Football reflects society, in England and here in Spain and the same is true in the US and elsewhere. Just because racism is not tolerated doesn’t mean it has been eliminated, it just goes underground.
Football is a multiracial game only on the pitch. The facts speak for
themselves. There are no black managers in the Premiership. There are
only three black managers in the whole Football League: Leroy Rosenior
at Torquay, Keith Alexander at Lincoln and Carlton Palmer at Mansfield.
Every member of the board of the Premiership clubs, bar one, is white –
and it is the boards that appoint the managers. Only 2 per cent of the
management staff and 4 per cent of the administrative staff are
non-white. Less than 1 per cent of season-ticket holders at Premiership
clubs are black or Asian. There is one predictable exception to this
virtual white-out. A fifth of ‘other staff’ – catering, turnstiles,
cleaning – are non-white. ………"It is a white man’s club"
Nevertheless in other European countries particularly Italy, Spain and the Eastern European block racism is out there in the wide open stands and pitches, blatant and vile. In Spain this season alone has seen some of the worst racial abuse not just at club games but also in the national side such as when Spain played England.
In another incident, Spain’s coach described Arsenal striker Thierry Henry as "that Black shit" and for his words he was fined a pittance, 3000 euros or a day’s salary. I have been at Spanish league matches so I know what its like to be Black in the stands and on the pitch with monkey noises and who knows what else as my Spanish does not extend to "football language" and swear words. I no longer go to Spanish matches and I recognise fully that the crude racism on the terraces is the true expression of Spanish society’s prejudices against immigrants, Blacks, people of colour and gitanos. What is even more sinister is the state of denial by the Spanish media including the broadsheets, Spanish football authorities and government officials.
Jacques points out that "football has become the fault line of European racism" why?
not simply because it is the popular male discourse bar none, but
because, far more than in any other activity, black and brown people
are present in large numbers and, as players, are the subjects of our
emotions and passions. The football stadium – like nowhere else in
society – brings white men, in the form of the crowd (the latter
everywhere in Europe remains overwhelmingly white), into contact with
black men, the players. Football, like nothing else, confronts European
society with its own history, culture and prejudice. It is a racial
cauldron.
The irony of this is that elsewhere in the world - Africa, Asia and Latin America with the exception of a minority in Latin America, the majority of players and fans are people of colour. The streets of Lagos, Sao Paulo, Casablanca, Seoul and Calcutta are full of the next generation of top class footballers, learning the craft on hard dirt in bare feet, who will be the ones to bring cups of glory to Euro football clubs.
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11 Comments so far
1. the crossfader
May 6th, 2005 at 11:51 pm
the irony is also that the europeans at their core are more culturally backward in their attitude toward others than americans, whom the europeans look down upon.
2. owukori
May 7th, 2005 at 7:54 am
I am not sure what you mean by “Culturally backward in their attitude towards others”.The US was built on a foundation of European immigrants, Black slaves, Asian indentured workers and more recently on the backs of Central and Southern American migrant workers. I dont see how this makes the US “culturally foreward in their attitude” If you mean in terms of European attitudes towards immigrants I would say that the US has the same attitude towards immigrants from Central and Southern America not to talk of its own indigenous and Black population. If you mean in terms of racism in sport then I would also ask how many Black or Hispanic managers, coaches, directors etc are there in American football, baseball and basketball? Only relatively recently could you find a Black quarterback in football. There are no “monkey noises” thrown at Black sports men and women in the US(neither are there in England) as there are laws in place to stop people doing that sort of thing. But that does not rid the racism out of people’s minds which is one of the points Jacques makes and I agree with. My point being that racism exists in the US as welll as Europe - the form maybe different and it may not be so crude and overt but it is there and permeates all levels of society
3. Chippla
May 7th, 2005 at 6:56 pm
There’s a lot of racism in Europe, and I think it would take a long time for it to die away. I happen to believe that racism isn’t a congenital trait but something that is learned. The fact that fans of the Spanish, Italian and Eastern European leagues still jeer at players of African-ancestry shows what such societies are like deep down. In terms of race relations, Europe is not a model for the rest of the world.
4. owukori
May 7th, 2005 at 8:43 pm
Chippla - I completely agree with you. I have just been speaking to my son in Ft Lauderdale who was complaining how racist the English community are after he played in one of their football teams!
5. mainagatheru
May 11th, 2005 at 9:48 pm
this shit hapen every time any where so long a black man is in the field controling ball like no bodys business !!!trust me.i used to play # 5-five the center forward and we used to be admired and cursed at the same time by the ignorant few.shame on them.keep it up boys of color !!!
6. Fix where your from.
June 17th, 2005 at 1:27 am
I grow increasingly tired of blk people complaining about racism in Europe and North America.This is of course not to say racism is appropriate (it of course isnt)but this is a tired stupid argument. Black people in North America and especially sub-saharan Africa, and heck, even Carribean, are some of the most racist people on this Earth. They discriminate based on color, tribal identity and pretty much anything else imaginable. Again, this isnt to say that behaviors appropriate, but lets do something more substantive than banter on and on about racism. So long as much of Africa, black africa in particular, remains a trash heap racism will continue to exist. Why are black forced into being immigrants on everyone elses continents?
The real solution is to fix the countries from which you come, so theres no longer a need to run away to where everybody else lives. In 20 years or so, most of Asia will have living standards simlar to those in the West. With a rise in those standards, fewer Asians will be immigrating to Europe and North America where they complain of racism. Also, the opinion of White Europeans and North Americans (they are predominantly White) with regards to Asians will improve, because afterall they’ll have created societies (back home) that bring their people out of poverty.
The truth hurts, but so long as much of Africa remains a backwards as hell, blacks will continue fight for respect, and continue to be immigrants the world over.
7. White Supremacy is Global & Local
June 17th, 2005 at 2:07 pm
“I grow increasingly tired of blk people complaining about racism in Europe and North America.”
I grow increasingly tired of white men a) complaining about the legitimate complaints of racism made by black people; b) complaining about some nonexistent racism being levelled against them. Why are white men so weak? I mean black people have endured hell for the past 600 years and most of us don’t bother complaining, but white people - they will complain if Starbucks opens 5 minutes late.
“This is of course not to say racism is appropriate (it of course isnt)but this is a tired stupid argument.”
What is a tired stupid argument? - the argument that racism exists in North America and Europe? Maybe if you want to post messages on a forum like this, you could try to form coherent arguments so people can know just how stupid you are rather than have to guess.
“Black people in North America and especially sub-saharan Africa, and heck, even Carribean, are some of the most racist people on this Earth. They discriminate based on color, tribal identity and pretty much anything else imaginable.”
What a load of complete and utter bullshit. What separates Black people from the rest of the world is that we are NOT racist and never have been. Now, if a Nigerian hates the British for destroying the fabric of society in Nigeria, that is not racism. That is a rational response to wickedness.
What is the nature ere is this racism being perpetrated in Jamaica, for instance? It is Whites, Syrians, East Indians and Chinese Jamaicans shitting on African Jamaicans. There is no racism coming from the African Jamaicans. I guess you think you can just make up any nonsense and claim it to be fact and not be called on it.
“Again, this isnt to say that behaviors appropriate, but lets do something more substantive than banter on and on about racism. So long as much of Africa, black africa in particular, remains a trash heap racism will continue to exist.”
Actually, as long as white people continue to carry this inferiority complex they have towards black people, white people will continue to think they have to prove themselves superior. After all, if you KNOW you are superior, you don’t feel the need to prove it.
Africa is a trash heap for one reason - White people made it that way with the help of relatively few Black collaborators.
“Why are black forced into being immigrants on everyone elses continents?”
Because Europe and North America continue to drain Africas resources and wealth leaving Africans with the choice of staying in 3rd world squalor or leaving for 1st world squalor. Its a straight forward case of cause and effect. Stay and starve or leave and eat.
“The real solution is to fix the countries from which you come, so theres no longer a need to run away to where everybody else lives.”
There are millions of Africans who have paid with their lives for attempting to improve their own country. It just isn’t going to happen while the governments of Africa collude with White Corporations to rape Africa’s wealth on a macro-scale. The government needs to be on the side of the people for any improvement to take place. Quite simply, Africa will not get better until white people leave us the fuck alone. We don’t need your help - we know where that leads (to hundreds of millions of Africans dying). We just want you to fuck off and leave Africa alone. But that won’t happen. White people are far too greedy to leave any wealth in Africa. So Africa will continue to be a trash heap until the Roman empire falls and the planet returns to a political equilibrium.
“In 20 years or so, most of Asia will have living standards simlar to those in the West.”
This is a fallacy of gigantic proprtions. The vast majority of Indians are worse off than Africans. No more than 10% of the 1.3billion people in India are living above the poverty level. That leaves over a billion people in abject poverty. No intelligent person can claim that this situation will be solved in the next 20 years. The situation is getting worse by the day - their vaunted technology sector provides work for 20million Indians. What about the other 1.28billion? The only thing India can look forward to in the next 20 years is famine and suffering because farmers are dissappearing because the Indian government has allowed farming to become unprofitable. India cannot feed itself now, let alone 20 years from now when their population is 2 billion. They are facing the worst famine in man’s history.
“With a rise in those standards, fewer Asians will be immigrating to Europe and North America”
Actually, you will find that the numbers desperate to immigrate to Europe and North America will increase 1000-fold.
“where they complain of racism.”
and where they are subjected to racism.
“Also, the opinion of White Europeans and North Americans (they are predominantly White) with regards to Asians will improve, because afterall they’ll have created societies (back home) that bring their people out of poverty.”
But they havene’t created any such society in Asia. You have a few small states like Singapore, S. Korea and Taiwan that are doing well - the rest are up to their necks in shit and its getting worse. In any case, White people will almost always give you a chance - as long as you aren’t black.
“The truth hurts,”
Funny that. You have no clue about the truth.
“but so long as much of Africa remains a backwards as hell, blacks will continue fight for respect, and continue to be immigrants the world over.”
As long as white people universally treat black people worse than they treat their dogs, black people willl have to fight for their rights all over the world. The problem is WHITE PEOPLE. The Solution therefore lies first and foremost with WHITE PEOPLE.
8. screw u fix where you're from
June 17th, 2005 at 5:42 pm
FIX WHERE YOU’RE FROM, where are you from? I guarantee you’re of european descent, if not actually, mentally, and currently a self-imposed immigrant yourself.
“Why are black forced into being immigrants on everyone elses continents?”
You have not even managed to assemble an intelligible question. It’s rooted in the very ignorance from which you write. If you check the history of the majority of the continents you reference, you will find that each of the indigenous people of these places were black people (people of color). You are the only one does not have a true claim to any location because all the countries your people are present, they’ve come as a result of greed and thievery.
9. soul
June 17th, 2005 at 6:15 pm
hee ee monjo got n alias lol.
It always makes me laugh when White people say ‘fix where you are from’.
Well how doess that work when you are talking about African Americans talking about racism in America?.
Or when you are talking to people of Arabian descent born in France, or Spain?. hmm?.
And what do you say to those people from America who keep emmigrating to Africa? Ever tried to check out the stats on the number of people leaving your shores in comparism to the numbers coming in?
Oh and thern ther is India. Theone which America complains about soo much, the country which is taking all your jobs away right?.
Lol….
Thanks for the laughter.
10. Jzay
December 28th, 2005 at 11:27 pm
I have to agree with fix where your from. If Africa can ever start to industrialize to the point of self suficiency, then you will see many African’s returning back to their countries of origin. In a small way, this is something that is happening in Asia. Many Indians, Chinese, and other Asians, have started to expatriate back to their homelands, wanting to raise their children in their own cultures, rather than the decadent and selfish Western culture. Mixing races in a country only creates tensions due to competition for jobs and other resources. That is why I believe in what fix it where your from is saying.
As an Asian myself, I also plan to return to Asia and start a new life over there. I’m sick of the racism and racial tensions here in America. I tired of being treated like a second class citizen. Everyone is hateful towards each other, which creates hostility between all the races. I don’t mind mixing races–as I have a latina girlfriend, but when you put different competing factions to vie for jobs and other limited resources, tensions are bound to increase. That is why I support keeping the different races in their seperate homelands to avoid the kind of problems that are beginning to occur in the world.
I feel bad for my African brothers and sisters that have no choice but to endure the racist B***S**T in the all white Western countries. Hopefully, one day, African’s of all descent can see a prosperous and strong Africa.
11. yeah..
February 14th, 2006 at 10:33 am
Europe is 50+ years behind USA in racial tolerance. Name me one Martin Luther king of europe? Name me one big movie star who is black from europe.. U.S imo is doing much better than europe in this issue. (not saying they r perfect, far from it, just comparison)