Racism and hypocrisy tarnishing football image

Fri, Jun 22. 2012

Given the influence of modern telecommunications, hardly any event, great or small, can occur these days without coming under the glare of the ubiquitous media. Quite naturally therefore, sport, that excellent medium for entertainment, motivation, relaxation, social and personal development, and, in today’s world that never-ending generator of riches, seems to be always among the major talking points throughout the world.{{more}}

Sadly, all too often, negative events off the sporting field, especially in the shadowy corridors of sports governing circles, tend to cast their gloomy shadows over the many more positive developments and achievements on-field. There is no dearth of evidence in this regard.

As the world anxiously awaits the start of next month’s 30th Olympiad (Olympic Games) in London, the air of excitement is being fouled with charges of corruption, not new to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), mind you, concerning the sale of tickets for the Games on the so-called ‘black market’. Investigations have been launched and some ticket sales for the 2014 Winter Olympics have been halted.

International cricket, badly hit by corruption and match-fixing scandals, finds that its misdeeds cannot avoid the spotlight with clouds billowing around the money-spinning Indian Professional League (IPL). The influence of that billion-dollar League is also affecting the international cricketing calendar and leading to disputes among officials and players over pay and availability.

Lawn tennis has not had as rough a time in the international media as some of the other sports, but recent public criticism by top players of the punishing schedule has been highlighted in the media. To add to this, one top player has had to be fined for wounding an official and now faces possible criminal charges. So, all has not been smooth sailing on this front, either.

But, it would be nigh-impossible to wrest the top spot in the ‘Negative League’ of international sports away from football. Fittingly dubbed “The game of the People”, there is no other sport which commands such international attention, and not even the tainted IOC could match the scale of corruption that has enveloped this sport’s governing body, FIFA, and some of its affiliates. While on the field action for World Cup 2014 qualification and the EURO 2012 championships grab the attention of players and fans, the attendant murky baggage is hard to discard.

But for the moment, the web of corruption swirling all around FIFA has some bold letters inscribed on it, attracting the attention of millions outside the football fold. Those letters are R-A-C-I-S-M, an ugly term in any field of life. FIFA’s powerhouse European affiliate, UEFA, the governing body of the sport in Europe, is the one at the centre of this.

Racism in sport, football in this instance, was considered such a major problem that FIFA was forced to launch an international campaign entitled “Kick Out Racism”, and many Leagues in racism-prone Europe and leading black players were at the forefront. Yet, in spite of worrying evidence of racism rearing its ugly head in eastern Europe in particular, UEFA awarded the 2012 championships to be hosted in Poland and Ukraine. This was widely criticized long before the start of the championships. Events have proven the critics to be right.

Images of ignorant far-right fascists with narrow tunnel vision, displaying racial slogans, have been splashed all over television screens. There have been violent clashes and open racist abuse of black players. One would imagine that FIFA and UEFA would take all of this very seriously. But apparently UEFA, always quick to downplay racist behaviour as mere “football hooliganism”, is more concerned about other things.

Thus Denmark’s Nicholas Bendtner was fined a whopping 80,000 pounds for revealing his underpants with a sponsor’s name on it, that of an Irish bookmaker. This fine contrasts greatly with the fines handed down for racist abuse of black players including the 10,000 pound fine on Croatia, whose fans were not only found guilty of “racist conduct” in the past but, in the words of UEFA President Michel Platini, “tarnished the finals” by abuse of the black Italian forward Mario Balotelli.

There are other examples. Ukraine’s coach, Oleg Blokhin, is on record in 2006 as saying that black players were “not wanted” in Ukraine. No action was taken. Serbia’s newly appointed coach Sinisa Mihailovic was found guilty of abusing French World Cup winner Patrick Viera, but given only a 2-match ban, while the Serbian Federation was charged 16,500 pounds, a similar fine to the Portuguese club Porto, for racist abuse by fans.

This double standard is harming football, and undermining racial harmony and peace. These crimes, together with the sleaze and corruption, must be weeded out from modern sport.