Can racism ever be kicked out of football?
High-profile cases of bigotry towards top professionals highlight the scale of discrimination at every level of the game.
A string of recent racist incidents during high-profile football matches has prompted some of the game’s biggest names to hold a social media boycott in protest at the discrimination they routinely face. Manchester City striker Raheem Sterling, Tottenham defender Danny Rose and Arsenal forward Danielle Carter are among those who stayed away from social media as part of the Enough campaign co-ordinated by the English Professional Footballers’ Association.
But bigotry is not confined to the upper echelons of the English game – players across Europe and beyond also regularly experience abuse from fans, teammates and coaches. Meanwhile youth players making their first forays into football face racist invective on the park, anti-racism campaigners say.
The Stream will take a look at an endemic problem many thought was a remnant of the ‘bad old days’ of football, and ask what action should be taken to kick racism and other discrimination out of the sport. Join the conversation.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Paul Mortimer @pmorts
Former English League footballer
paul-mortimer.com
Colin King
Author, Offside Racism: Playing the White Man
Lee Wellings @LeeW_Sport
Sports correspondent, Al Jazeera English
aljazeera.com
Piara Powar @PiaraPowar
Executive director, Football Against Racism in Europe
farenet.org
Read more:
How media and the elites fuel racism in British football – Al Jazeera
Raheem Sterling emerges as a leader in football’s fight against racism – The Guardian
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