UEFA & Serbia tackle racism

[Montse]

It is the 21st century and discrimination is still a stain on the game and on society. It is time to ban the Serbs.

It is time for Uefa’s president, Michel Platini, to honour the words he uttered in Belgrade last year, following a meeting with the then Serbian president, Boris Tadic, to discuss the behaviour of his country’s fans after they forced the abandonment of an international against Italy in Genoa.

 

“In case this violent incident should repeat itself by hooligans, the Serbian clubs and national team will be banned from all European competitions,’’ said Platini. So do it. Expel them into exile. Take a stand. Send a message to Rose that the authorities support him. Prove to the bigots that they will not escape censure, that actions have consequences. Ban them.

“We have a problem with hooligans in Serbia,” acknowledged Tadic back then. “We are aware of that and we are ready for a final crackdown against them.

“We will work closely with Uefa to make sure that incidents like the one in Genoa never happen again.”

 

A hollow promise. His compatriots were at it again on Tuesday night, denigrating people, embarrassing his nation.

Some Serbian players, commendably, sought to play the peacemakers, attempting to soothe the anger of English players like Rose. Others looked less compassionate.

The whole incident needs a proper investigation by Uefa, also focusing on the cause of Rose’s anger and also that of Steve Wigley. If the English were not blameless, they should also be called to account.

 

But clearly the main miscreants were local fans in Krusevac. Poison continues to drip from Serbian tongues. Monkey chants as well as gestures were the malevolent missiles launched at Rose.

The FA reported “a number of incidents” to Uefa, including those “seemingly aimed at a number of England black players by the crowd”.

Uefa organises some superb competitions, and the under-21 Euros is invariably a good event to attend. England’s achievement at qualifying, following 1-0 play-off wins over Serbia home and away, deserves celebrating.

Yet the memory will be of football trapped in the Neanderthal era. Platini cares about the game he graced so exquisitely as a player. He now needs to show how much he cares. Ban them.

Football has been down this sad road with Serbia before. Sinisa Mihajlovic was banned for two games while at Lazio for calling Patrick Vieira a “black b------” and “black monkey” in October 2000.

 

At Euro 2007, Serbia were fined £16,000 after its fans racially abused the England Under-21 defender, Nedum Onuoha. I was in Nijmegen and the abuse was clear to hear. The stadium announcer even mentioned it, pleading for restraint.

According to Platini’s organisation, their Respect campaign “features prominently at Uefa competitions and events”. Apparently. It “dovetails with programmes aimed at combating violence, racism, xenophobia and homophobia”. Allegedly. So prove it. Ban them.

Unfortunately, Uefa’s record is of an organisation weak at combating racism. The charge sheet of offences is as long as the list of supine fines. Uefa’s warped priorities were indicated earlier this year.

 

Nicklas Bendtner was fined £80,000 for revealing his underpants at Euro 2012, showing the name of a bookies.

Four months earlier, Porto were fined a paltry £16,700 for their fans’ racist abuse of Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli.

Of course, the English cannot always claim the moral high ground yet the FA, to its credit, has been at the forefront of the fight against racism, leading campaigns and rushing swiftly to support Rose and Co on Tuesday night.

 

Platini should talk to Rose, hearing at first hand testimony of what it feels like to be abused for the colour of your skin.

Conscientious Serbs also need to take a scalpel to the cancer in their midst, finding, banning and shaming those who racially abused a black guest of their country.

Racism is a scourge that will not simply be eradicated by rounding up the perpetrators on the terraces. It is down to education, to explaining in classrooms to young minds about why tolerance can be the only road worth taking.

 

Telegraph video

 

The UEFA match report made no mention of this so naturally it didnt happen, in fact the FA will probably be charged for not controlling our players

[aka Dus]

They have to do something.

[Cobs]

yes - average-sized fine heading your way Serbia!

[Swan Red]

yes - average-sized fine heading your way Serbia!

 

express in a % of what Cole was fined by the FA for calling a bunch of t***s a bunch of t***s

[Cobs]

express in a % of what Cole was fined by the FA for calling a bunch of t***s a bunch of t***s

 

 

bit tricky - he's not been fined anything yet, has he?

[smithdown]

Not mad keen on visiting Serbia, tbh.

[Swan Red]

bit tricky - he's not been fined anything yet, has he?

 

oops my mistake I thought he'd been fined about 300k

[Cobs]

oops my mistake I thought he'd been fined about 300k

 

 

Well, if he is that'll be around 10x what UEFA hit the Serbian FA with

[Swan Red]

I expect that's about right

[Stevie H]

oops my mistake I thought he'd been fined about 300k

terry was 220k wasn't it? week's wages?

 

serbia fa will get a maximum of 30k euros. probably less.

[Billy Dane]

Didn't realise that Rose had been sent off after the final whistle had gone, ridiculous if so.

[cymrococh]

Didn't realise that Rose had been sent off after the final whistle had gone, ridiculous if so.

That's perfectly acceptable.

 

Not this case like, but the ref can definitely send people off after the final whistle.

[Cobs]

That's perfectly acceptable.

 

Not this case like, but the ref can definitely send people off after the final whistle.

 

 

did you see the footage?

 

 

Carnage going off all round. He boots the ball into the crowd and the Ref gets into his face to give him a second yellow/red card. Feckin embarrassing.

Edited October 17, 2012 by Cobs

[muleskinner]

Stuart Pearce will have to tread carefully on this.

[cymrococh]

did you see the footage?

 

 

Carnage going off all round. He boots the ball into the crowd and the Ref gets into his face to give him a second yellow/red card. Feckin embarrassing.

Did you read my post?

 

I did say not in this case.

 

It seemed that Billy Dane was questioning the concept of getting a red card after the final whistle.

Edited October 17, 2012 by cymrococh

[growler]

Uefa make comment about taking it seriously. Then fine the 2000 euros and a 1 game suspended sentance.

[Cobs]

Did you read my post?

 

I did say not in this case.

 

 

never said you did - wind yer neck in!

 

It seemed that Billy Dane was questioning the concept of getting a red card after the final whistle.

 

and you put him straight. Sound..

 

HAHA!

Edited October 17, 2012 by Cobs

[Cobs]

Guardian sport‏@guardian_sport Serbian FA denies any forms of racism towards England U-21s + say Danny Rose behaved in 'inappropriate, unsportsmanlike and vulgar manner''

 

 

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

did you see the footage?

 

 

Carnage going off all round. He boots the ball into the crowd and the Ref gets into his face to give him a second yellow/red card. Feckin embarrassing.

 

IF that's what he was s/o for. There was loads going off everywhere, could have been something in there. But what of the Serbian players who were kicking the England AssMan?

 

Guardian sport‏@guardian_sport Serbian FA denies any forms of racism towards England U-21s + say Danny Rose behaved in 'inappropriate, unsportsmanlike and vulgar manner''

 

Yeah, because their players & staff were a bastion of restraint

[jimbolala]

Serbian FA are as stupid as the English FA then. After watching the chaos at the end of that match , its obvious that the Serbs where going nuts, whether it's racist or just good old fashioned thuggery hardly matters. Ban them

[Cobs]

IF that's what he was s/o for.

 

 

seemed pretty clear that's what he responded to

 

 

certainly wasn't bothered by any of the England players being assaulted by their opponents

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

the fact that he did the monkey impression at the end is purely coincidental...obviously. There was no racism; in a country well known for it.

[cymrococh]

TalkSport is good on this, like Austin Powers' dad they hate racism, prejudice and Eastern Europeans.

[Cobs]

Good old Serbs, deffo not racist

 

 

http://www.channel4.com/news/fa-complains-to-uefa-about-racism-in-serbia

[Billy Dane]

That's perfectly acceptable.

 

Not this case like, but the ref can definitely send people off after the final whistle.

 

I know you can get sent off after the final whistle, I was referring to this specific case. I obviously need to be more specific in future.