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[giga]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/07/euro-2012-holland-racist-abuse

Euro 2012 was plunged into its first racism controversy after the black players in the Holland squad were subjected to monkey chants during an open practice session in the same city where England will also invite the public to watch them train on Friday.

Several hundred people targeted players such as Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel when 25,000 spectators attended the Dutch practice session at the Stadion Miejski, the home of Wisla Krakow.

The players, on the instructions of the captain, Mark van Bommel, responded by moving their training drills to the other side of the ground. "It is a real disgrace especially after getting back from Auschwitz [the Dutch squad had visited the concentration camp on Wednesday] that you are confronted with this," Van Bommel said. "We will take it up with Uefa and if it happens at a match we will talk to the referee and ask him to take us off the field."

The problems occurred as the players began the session by jogging a lap of the pitch only to be greeted at one end of the stadium with monkey noises and loud jeers. On the second circuit, they were even louder and it was then the players decided not to go around again. "At least now we know what we can encounter," the Holland coach, Bert van Marwijk, said with heavy cynicism. "Very atmospheric."

Uefa subsequently tried to deny that it was racially motivated, saying they had checked with the Dutch squad and had been told it was not thought to be of that nature. Instead, the official line is that a small part of the crowd was protesting about the fact that Krakow had not been made one of the host cities. Another theory that has been put forward is that Wisla's supporters did not want their stadium being used by anyone but their own club and were simply booing the Dutch players.

Van Bommel, however, responded angrily when it was put to him not everyone had heard monkey noises. "You need to open your ears," he said. "If you did hear it, and don't want to hear it, that is even worse."

Privately, the midfielder is understood to be unhappy that the authorities are not treating the issue more seriously, but the incident is still threatening to be a major embarrassment for Uefa, coming before a ball has even been kicked, and will increase the scrutiny on Poland's supporters when the tournament opens with the co-hosts playing Greece in Warsaw on Friday.

Related: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18338838?print=true

Uefa president Michel Platini says that any players who walk off the pitch at Euro 2012 due to racial abuse will be booked.

A BBC Panorama programme highlighted racism incidents at grounds in Poland and Ukraine, who co-host Euro 2012.

Manchester City and Italy striker Mario Balotelli threatened to walk off the pitch if he believed he was a victim.

But Platini said: "It's a yellow card. It's not a player - Mr Balotelli - who's in charge of refereeing."

Platini insists officials will deal with any racist incidents that occur during the tournament, which begins on Friday.

 

[Salvadora]

Players should walk off if this arises on the pitch and tell Fifa to fuck off.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Jeez, that was fast, the tournament hasn't even kicked off yet!

Players should walk off if this arises on the pitch and tell Fifa to fuck off.

To be fair, this is just one of the many many reasons I think the western countries should tell FIFA to fuck off.

 

[iNvid02]

racism will ruin euro 2012, and the police will do fuck all

just watch the bbc documentary, the cop just flat out denied everything

it will be interesting to see how their "anti-discrimination training" pans out

 

[Sleepy]

I hope the Euros will be a fine showing of football, but damn it's probably going to be a fucking train wreck.

 

[Ghost_Protocol]

What does it mean, "players who walk off the field will be booked?"

 

[-Eddman-]

If a team with black players wins the tournament, they should receive the trophy Black Panther style like John Carlos did in the 1968 olympics

 

[Dabanton]

Disgraceful and getting in trouble if idiots make racist chants and Monkey noises and you leave the field

I hope both teams playing would support any player who did that and joined them

 

[Salvadora]

I hope the Euros will be a fine showing of football, but damn it's probably going to be a fucking train wreck.

Russia will be 10 times worse. Guaranteed.

 

[IceCold]

I just realized that France will be playing against Ukraine...

That can't be good.

 

[Tomat]

I was pretty damn surprised to hear about the amount of racism that goes on in football while listening to the BBC. Sounds crazy as hell.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

What does it mean, "players who walk off the field will be booked?"

Refs have the right to suspend a match if they believe the crowd is being racist. Also, many players have also said that if they hear racist chants, they are just walking off the field in protest.

However, if the opinions of the ref and the player differ, and the player walks off the field, the ref will penalize the player.

 

[CrazyDogg77]

This tournament will have so many race scandals most likely it will be horrible.

 

[Of All Trades]

What does it mean, "players who walk off the field will be booked?"

I think it means penalized.

 

[Dabanton]

Russia will be 10 times worse. Guaranteed.

Seriously.

All those juicy building and road contracts made FIFA officials lick their lips as the guys at the top can pull their usual off the books thievery and corrupt payoffs.

Not even thinking is this the sort of place we really want to hold a tournament.

 

[IceCold]

I just realized that France will be playing against Ukraine...

That can't be good.

What does it mean, "players who walk off the field will be booked?"

They'll get a yellow card. Two yellow cards in one match = red card. You are out of the game and miss the next one. Two yellow cards from two separate games = you miss the next game.

 

[Santiako]

There's always a group of idiots in every stadium.

 

[Dutch Gronk]

Uefa subsequently tried to deny that it was racially motivated, saying they had checked with the Dutch squad and had been told it was not thought to be of that nature. Instead, the official line is that a small part of the crowd was protesting about the fact that Krakow had not been made one of the host cities. Another theory that has been put forward is that Wisla's supporters did not want their stadium being used by anyone but their own club and were simply booing the Dutch players.

This is so fucking mindboggling...They have the 'say no to racism' slogan, but when they are actually confronted with racism, they rather lie about it to make the situation sound better than it is, than admit the problem. They really just don't give a shit, but at least they are making a lot of money!

 

[Clydefrog]

It's 2012. Jesus Christ.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

There's always a group of idiots in every stadium.

I have been to many sporting events in my time, I have never seen anyone do the nazi salute, make racist chants, nor racially motivated violence. Not to mention a significant amount of the crowd doing it.

 

[zoku88]

There's a reason that whenever I boot up FM2012, there's a "Keep racism out of football" thingy.

 

[Ryck]

I have been reading interviews about all this weeks before the tournament has even started wtf? Is Poland and or Ukraine really that racist?

 

[DY_nasty]

Yo Paltrow haters - aim here

 

[Dutch Gronk]

Is Poland and or Ukraine really that racist?

Yes.

 

[Parallax]

There's always a group of idiots in every stadium.

there are different classes of idiots though. violent racist ones are not at every stadium.

 

[zero_suit]

Surprise, surprise....

 

[Hieberrr]

It's amazing how people still act like this.

 

[CrazyDogg77]

There's always a group of idiots in every stadium.

Yeah but these are usually guys who get drunk and curse out refs not make threatening racial remarks.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

I am still confused at how there could be Ukrainian and Polish Neo Nazis. Did they ever learn history, or get a summary about Mein Kampf?

 

[FutureZombie]

Yo Paltrow haters - aim here

Truth. It's Europe though... Someone uses the N word in a tweet in the US- total outrage. True racism in Europe- bleep on the radar.

 

[Slayven]

Just give the yellers tickets to a Raiders home game. Let the trip be all expense paid.

 

[Majine]

The two countries are not doing enough to prevent shit like this. In that BBC documentary, there were police chiefs denying everything. Just wow.

 

[giga]

Just give the yellers tickets to a Raiders home game. Let the trip be all expense paid.

lmao

 

[Wilbur]

Unfortunately we probably all knew this was going to happen. I feel sorry for the majority of fans who just want to watch the football but it's fucking sickening that players have to go through it.

All the black players need to make a stand and refuse to play. Then their respective federations, team mates, managers, whoever, then need to also refuse to play until something is sorted out. It's FIFA and UEFA getting in the way of bullshit like this.

 

[Salvadora]

Truth. It's Europe though... Someone uses the N word in a tweet in the US- total outrage. True racism in Europe- bleep on the radar.

You know this isn't true.

 

[Meus Renaissance]

A UEFA/FIFA statement in response to the Paranorma documentary still looms in my mind; it basically implied that this happened in a match with the global coverage, it would be a (positive) turning point for the nation. I tend to agree with that notion. Social progress has never come without the price of struggle.

 

[NYR]

Not trying to stereotype, but I dated a person born in Poland before, came to North America within the last 10 years. Racist as fuck. Would say "white is right" all the time, was afraid of even being in the same room as a black person. Once at her work, someone was using her computer and someone came up and said "oh, Fred do your work for you hahaha?" She responded: "no, does he look like a n-word?" Had to explain to her why she got in trouble for that statement...she got kicked to the curb pretty quick.

:|

 

[Herbspiceguy]

Instead of feeling offended and victimized, I hope they're able to channel this to increase their performance.

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

European racism is fascinating to me because the culprits always swear that they're not being racist. Yet they're convinced that America is much more racist than they are. They really want it both ways.

 

[CrazyDogg77]

Instead of feeling offended and victimized, I hope they're able to channel this to increase their performance.

Probably not it's pretty demoralizing to be attacked because of your race.

 

[Salvadora]

European racism is fascinating to me because the culprits always swear that they're not being racist. Yet they're convinced that America is much more racist than they are. They really want it both ways.

Who are 'they'? Europe is pretty big.

 

[rodvik]

The first time ever that I have felt affection for Van Bommel.

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

Who are 'they'? Europe is pretty big.

European racists. For example, try explaining to a Spaniard why the chinky eyes gesture is not appreciated by Asians. Try debating with the Dutch about their fondness for blackface. And for God's sake don't get anyone started on the Roma.

 

[Meus Renaissance]

The first time ever that I have felt affection for Van Bommel.

Haha

 

[Verelios]

Why am I not surprised?

Europe.

 

[Summary Man]

Really terrible. I can't believe something like this still happens this day and age (well, I can believe it; it's just so dang depressing).

 

[Fari]

Hopefully the negative publicity will give all the former Soviet countries a kick up the arse when it comes to tackling racism.

 

[Bo-Locks]

The best thing that could happen is if a "big" team all walk off the pitch if it happens. Completely pile the pressure on UEFA and see what sort of response occurs.

If the English, Spanish, Germans and Italians could group together and form some sort of breakaway organisation/European Supercup then the rest of Europe would soon follow. FIFA would die soon after and the corrupt bastards that awarded the Euros to Poland/Ukraine and the WC to Qatar (fucking QATAR!) and Russia would be out of a job.

All the money and talent is located in those 4 countries.It truly boggles my mind that irrelevant African/Caribbean representatives like Jack Warner and co have so much influence.

 

[number47]

European racists. For example, try explaining to a Spaniard why the chinky eyes gesture is not appreciated by Asians. Try debating with the Dutch about their fondness for blackface. And for God's sake don't get anyone started on the Roma.

So you mean just racist in general. I don't mind the monkey chants. It will just make their victory so much sweeter. Its hard to stop racism at large level like that,so i can understand why they would rather deny it than say "THERES NOTHING WE CAN DO TO STOP IGNORANT PEOPLE"

let racist people be, europe has no diversity compared to america,neither does the rest of the world. people calling us racist is ludicrous. maybe southerns.

 

[Hieberrr]

Speaking of Qatar, isn't it going to be fucking expensive to stay there for the tournament?