Hello all. I love soccer and my favorite team in Spain is Atletico. I am however concerned about the events which took place at Vicente Calderon Stadium yesterday against Osasuna. Atletico won 1-0 but the game was marred by racist chants directed at a black Osasuna player for most of the game. When is the Spanish Soccer Federation going to punish teams for this type of behavior. A fine is not enough. I really like this team but it is not an Atletico problem, it is all over Spain. Has anyone been to a soccer game in Spain and witnessed the same thing?

its not just Spain its everywhere in the world. at every game you find folks like this,and if you happened to be of diff color skin even more.The Spanish assoc and UEFA has taken action against this so has the players themselves. Awareness is indeed the best way but it will go slow just like in the USA.

im sorry but i do not agree pedmar in the english premiership we have loads of coloured players im a season ticket holder at bolton wanderers and have not come across any racialist comments at the reebok stadium yes we have a go at certain players because of there profile but that is banter (and because they are good players)quite a few top players are on a stamp out racism project in england and you will be ejected from the stadium with a life time ban if you racialy abuse anybody! i remember england playing at the bernabau 2yrs ago and people did not watch the match they stood up and just abused the coloured players. im not saying spain is the only place with a problem (by the way i love spanish football)but all the vibes in england are it is coming from la liga, deducting points is the only way because everyone is so rich it does not matter, points lost hurts

well you are entitled to your opinion billy the man but in England too. Ask Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera. All the players in all the countries in UEFA has band together to fight this phenomenon because it is affecting all the countries in all the stadium.
nothing alarming but is there. I do watch English football here in France too.

Well said. Racism and stadiums in the US is basically non-existant when it comes to black players being abused. Racism exists but its TABOO to openly display your beliefs.

Having been a season ticket holder at Atletí and also in England I have to agree with the original poster. I used to get quite uncomfotable at the monkey noise chants that appeared to be the norm if a black player was on the ball regardless of whether he was a home or away player. It is something that must be treated with more seriousness in Spain.
In England whilst there are isolated incidents they are just that and there is a very strong policy of banning the perpetrators from the grounds. But they are isolated, due to the Kick out Racism campaign that was run by all clubs.

Great comment!

Great comment The_Keeper

jysuper the reason is taboo in the US its because its illegal by civil rights laws which stop folks from openly discussed it.BUT its there too...if not ask NAACP and LULAC.

and I already discussed the England situation.

Another reason may be that almost in every major nationally-televised U.S. sport, 95% of players are black!!...And many in the public, compared to Spain, are also black!!. But I also agree with pedmar, racism exists in the U.S., and everywhere.

Oh boy. It always comes back to the U.S. doesn't it?

Well, of course racism exist in the U.S. because there are ignorant people in the U.S. and every other country. However, we seldom hear of anyone ignorant enough, even after excessive drinking, to display racism in the middle of a public event. This would take a lot of nerve and the perpetrator would be subject to verbal and physical abuse. Much verbal and physical abuse.

Do you think there will be a time when Europeans take a stand against such obnoxious behavior?

Gazpacho , Europe is doing it see my earlier comments. althought they still do not have civil rights laws written into like in the US.
I know they do it in the US;: i am hispanic american exmember of LULAC (league of united latin american citizens); i know its there and many times openly. I went through it!

and i am not minimizing the fact that is all over including Spain. What i was trying to said is that is there... and it must be fight every day and not tolerated at all ANYWHERE!

In answer to the original question by Jysuper, yes unfortunately.

I was also at the Spain v England game billy the man mentions and it was a disgrace.

I have seen too bananas thrown at black players in the UK, although not for about 20 years.

What is good about this post is that, although there is a difference of opinion about where the problem is worst, everyone seems to agree that it is not acceptable in any form at any level, and therefore if it happens even at one game in Spain, or the UK or the US, measures must be taken to stop it. Kick these people out of the grounds and ban them subsequently so the rest of us can get on with enjoying (and talking about) the football.

There has to be zero tolerance not only with sports or with only one race if you want to stop it.

Recently in the US, a TV actor called another TV actor a fag and then denied he ever called the guy a fag.

In the end the black actor lost his acting job, because he used the word fag and denied using it.

Kicking the people of the stadium is not good enough. What should have happen those sitting in attendance with these bigots should have the courage to put a stop to it. Walk out of the game, call security or something to the effect. It would not surprise me that those who did not throw bananas, watched and found it funny are just as bad.

I remember there was a football game and some idiots throw snowballs at the football players. They were arrested, brought before a judge and their faces were on the cover of newspapers. That was just over snowballs it would have been much worst if it was bananas.

Bill

Bashing the players seems to be part of the fun at least for Spanish spectators. If you tolerate (as I've watched) people insulting the players or their mothers, why should you forbid racist insults? Is there any difference?

The best choice is not to go to the stadium!

Fernando

Fernando,

You're WAY OFF. No one should be making racist chants at any games. Here in the US, two black head coaches squared off in the Super Bowl. It wasn't because they were black it was because they worked hard, paid their dues, and deserved that opportunity. I understand heckling but when you start to taunt because of their skin color then it is wrong and unacceptable.

Tomorrow night is the re-match of the Spanish England game mentioned above for it's racist chanting.

Some prominent members of Kick out Racism are suggesting the game should be boycotted because of racist comments made by the Spanish coach Aragones. He claimed to be trying to motivate Reyes when he said of Thierry Henry...

The Daily Telgraph 06/10/04

Incredibly he then tried to justify his remarks as follows...

news.bbc.co.uk 02/01/05

He was fined 3,000 euros as punishment for these comments but still is Spains national manager.

I am of the opinion that when the highest footballing coach in a country can make comments such as these and be fined what probably amounts to less than a weeks salary then it does not send out a particulary constructive message and is not helpful in eliminating racism.

yes 3000 euros is not a good fine for such remarks;taking him from coaching would not stop racism either.
i do agree a higher fine would have been in order. anyway he is now in manchester and avoiding all commentaries there. England has a leg up on handling these problems than Spain. Many immigrants are now coming to Spain and its creating problems which they need to address forthcomingly quickly.

Pedmar you´re right, but if you agree his remarks are racist then is that a reason to leave him in his post representing the country ?

Let me think on this one.

Spain bans models who are two skinny, because they set the wrong example for women.

A Spanish coach representing Spain, makes racist remarks, he is not banned but fined. But it says plenty to those who go to the games to throw bannas.

Bill

last night was the rematch from two years ago england v spain from old trafford manchester not one racist comment was heard which is very pleasing maybe it was because england were so bad they could not be heard over the booing going on

The Madrid court No 5 has absolved coach Aragones of those racist remarks. He will not be charge.
the court rule wrongly;wont be making any examples from that. But yes the game was nice and Spain won!!! Aupa España!!!!