Concerns of Racism during World Cup

[Lost-in-FL]

For those who think racism is not seen in Europe. I lived in Europe for 3 years and I experienced it

there a lot worse than here in the US.



Defender Oguchi Onyewu (oh-GOOCH-ee own-YAY-woo), an African-American who plays for the Belgian club Standard Lige, is expected to be one of the USA's breakout stars in this World Cup. At 6-4, 210 pounds, he's also the biggest player on the U.S. team, which begins play June 12 against the Czech Republic. But recently, Onyewu's size hasn't deterred rival club fans from launching racist attacks on him.

"I've been harassed while in a car, punched in face, heard monkey chants," Onyewu says matter-of-factly. Onyewu has played in France and Belgium the last four years but says this is the first season he has experienced such overt racism.

Onyewu, who is from Olney, Md., says in March he was leaving a rival team's game with a few friends when he was spotted by some fans of Club Brugge, a league opponent.

"They were shaking the car, they spit on the car, they were throwing food, kicking the car, punching the car, all that stuff," says Onyewu, who believes the incident was racially motivated. Part of the bumper of his Chrysler 300 was ripped off, he says. "I was too angry to be scared. My friends wouldn't let me get out of the car because they thought the fans would hurt me."

Onyewu says when his team played in April at a rival's stadium where fans sit near the field, he was punched in the face — during the game. "I was going to throw the ball in, and some fans started doing monkey chants and I made a gesture like, 'Whatever.' And a guy reached over and punched me in the mouth." Onyewu says the fan was suspended and fined.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/worldcup/2006-06-01-intolerance-cup_x.htm

[brentspeak]

1. The myth of the "enlightened European"

shattered.

[MikeNearMcChord]

2. Italy and spain has problems also with

racist fans, As a matter of fact the manager of the Spanish team playing in the World Cup, has himself a problem with "Foot in the Mouth" disease, when it come to race. Here is a snippet from Fox Sports

"Luis Aragones. A star at Atletico Madrid, Aragones is a coach of unquestionable merit. But his acumen has recently been overshadowed by his mouth (one of his nicknames is "boscazas," which means "big mouth") and has threatened to distract the side. He controversially referred to Arsenal star (and Reyes teammate) Thierry Henry in October of 2004 as "a black shit;" and Spain's international and club matches have been dogged by racist chants from the terraces. Aragones has denied that Spanish soccer is racist despite repeated evidence to the contrary, going so far as to say that Barcelona striker and Cameroon star Samuel Eto'o was "confused" about the monkey noises being directed at him from the stands at a recent match against Real Zaragoza. (Zaragoza was fined $11,500 for the incident)."