Barcelona's Eto'o Walks Off After Racist Abuse

[The Pepsi Challenge]

I'm proud of Barcelona's Eto'o, who walked off (he returned after persuasion) the pitch after receiving blatant racist abuse during Barca's recent match. When are the Spanish FA - and the Italian FA - going to do something about this? I mean, when it comes to attitudes, politics and values, Spain is one hell of schizophrenic country. On the one hand, having emerged from fascist dictatorship only fairly recently, the level of "progressiveness" (cannae think of a better word) is impressive - see the very liberal laws toward gay marriage, soft drugs, the large representation of women in politics and government etc. But on the other, the undercurrent of arch-conservative values seems as strong as ever, and racism and xenophobia are rife. I remember a shop in calle mayor - one of madrid's busiest and most central streets - brazenly having third reich/nazi memorabilia on display in the window.

[willowbankbear]

Its been that way for a while in both these countries,I have a good friend in Galicia who says much about the same as you do Pepsi, the spanish are a very different race to us.
Which game did Etoo walk off? Was it Saturday nights match? I didnt see it but I watched Madrid lose last night 2-1

[JAWS]

Sorry Pepsi, I rather think he made a bad move. He should have complained bitterly to the Match Official and made sure his Manager was aware that he had done so. The various Football Authorities could then be embarrassed into taking action against the Club and it's Fans.

I would think that by walking off he has just encouraged the use of such abuse towards non-white players in an attempt to get the same response.
If certain fans get the idea that they can force effective players from the opposing team to leave a game by abusing them they most certainly will do exactly that.

I'm not sure to what extent Racism is a problem in Spain but some societies are more tolerant about such things than we are and it's only when that changes that the problem will start to ease.

[Jeid]

I disagree Jaws, If you look at Spanish football as a whole, the amount of coloured people that play in the country is huge. Most teams have at least 2-3 coloured players in the team. Mostly from South America, Brazil usually or Northern Africa. These players are all very talented.

If racism continues to be chanted to players on the pitch, such as Eto'o, I too, if I was black would be deeply offended and leave the pitch. Why take that kind of mindless behaviour? Talking with your feet is the only action to take. Eto'o was by no means the only black player on the pitch, so why he was singled out is beyond me.

(Pepsi, surely progression was the word you were looking for ;))

[Whitewater]

Have to agree with "jaws" here, by walking off he has only encouraged the fans to do it all the time. His best response and the way to have shut them up would have been to play harder and put one or two in the oppositions net and perhaps finish by giving the the Victory sign in reverse.

Pepsi Challenge is right about the undercurrent of "arch-conservative" values, I have seen gross intolerance to both coloured people (racism) and Jews, (religous) in Barcelona. I was also once on a walking tour with my wife, and people were asked their religion, to make sure the tour guide could plan his walk without offending the local dignitaries. Needless to say this particular tour guide was left on his own, we all simply bought the guide book and walked it ourselves.

The problem with Spain I think is that the Civil War is still fresh in the minds of too many of the older generation, who were perhaps just children then and still remember the facist regime.

[landmarker]

Sounds to me like he over reacted, and he might regret it.
If I were playing professional football, in say Africa, and the locals racially 'abused' me then I'd carry on regardless. Wouldn't you?

He needs to get his head around this or he will find life intolerable. Racism is imbued in the hearts and minds of many people in many different cultures and countries. Once he reveals he is sensitive to it then the treatment can only get worse.

Many years ago,when I was little more than a child I would have occassionally joined in the racist chants against the few black players from the terraces.

Am I the only one who will own up to it now? (probably)

I grew up, and stopped doing it because I thought it wrong NOT BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT OR ANY INFLUENCE OR LEGISLATION DIRECTED ME AWAY FROM HAVING RACIST THOUGHTS. If these people, as adults, harbour racist thoughts then no amount of chiding, or condemnation will change their mindset.

You could supress it by refusing to play in such places. This is always an option for F.I.F.A. if their anti-racist stance is anything more than weasel words. Let us see if they are prepared to take a financial hit in defence of their views & policies. I wonder.

[weezer 316]

Totally disagree. Try having hundreds if not thousand of people calling you a black this and that, and see how you take it. He is there to play football, not be abused by mindless bigots jealous that he isnt in their team and probably most importantly, they arent as good as him.

I agree that some of these societies are strange, but Spain seems to have a record of attacks and I doubt it is just isolated pockets of twats voicing their displeasure in the only way they know how. If I was Eto'o, I would have walked, straight out and went somewhere that isnt going to allow this sort of thing, unlike the spanish FA who only fined them a measly 400 euros last season for a similair spate of racial nonsense.

At the end of the day, he has a much larger choice to make than "Can I take this nonsense?" More to the point, does he want his family to live and grow up in a society were calling someone a koon is almost mainstream!

I think not!

[Jeid]

Well said Weezer.

Its not the first time the Zaragoza fans have abused him. Last season they made monkey chants at him. He reacted by scoring a goal and celebrating like a monkey. However, he can't be expected to take it so lightly all the time. Good on him, a man standing up for himself.

[gleeber]

I agree with Pepsi Jeid and Weezer. Personally I think the whole team should have walked off and left the Spanish FA to sort it out with FIFA.
Its nonsense to say legislation wont fix this type of behaviour. Landmarkers probably unique in his personal enlightenment that racism is wrong. Most racists need to learn the hard way and legislation against discrimination is one of the factors that is changing modern society. Political correctness and liberal do-gooders are not everybodies cup of tea, as some of the posts on Caithness.org will vouch for, but anyone who is against the ideas that legislation is a waste of time is as guilty of discrimination as the discriminators.
Racism is learnt behaviour. We learn it from our environment.Its very difficult to shake off and I am well aware off its ugliness in my own personality. However a hefty fine or a few years in the nick for spouting poison against fellow human beings will certainly make the most active racist be more careful who he targets with his own irrational fears.

[JAWS]

Spells in prison certainly didn't make any Nazi Party Member any less racist Neither did it seem to have much effect on Sir Oswald Moseley or any of the other Members of the British Union of Fascists.

Is Spain the only Country where racist abuse is hurled at players or is it just that Spain is worse than other Countries?
Is there some reason why Eto'o suffered such abuse when, it would appaer that other black players in Spain are not abused in the same way?

I didn't see the match so I am not aware of what the background circumstances of the abuse was.

[Abdullah]

Racial harassment or abuse can manifest itself in any number of ways; it may take the form of physical, oral, written, or visual abuse which is related to a person’s race, ethnicity, colour, nationality, language, religion or cultural background, all of which actions are capable of being construed or perceived as being unacceptable, hurtful, and offensive to the recipient(s).
I remember reading about Maurice Johnston shortly after he arived at Ibrox and how certain rangers players wouldn't sit at the same table as him. Also I remember the former rangers player Mark walters having bananas thrown at him at a scottish ground.

[landmarker]

Landmarkers probably unique in his personal enlightenment that racism is wrong. .

I did not say 'racism' was wrong. I said joining in with racist chants aimed at footballers was wrong.

I'll not sign up to any anti-racist dogma just because all of a sudden we are being told it is 'wrong' by you or anyone else. I make my own mind up and judge sentiments/views/feelings/gut instinct on their merits or lack of same.

[weezer 316]

Landmarker, you logic, if you can call it the, is almost certianly built on shaky foundations.

You didnt say racism is wrong, correct, but it simply is. In your terms, what about walking along the street and every person who walked past you hurled abuse at you. It would eventually get to you, and once it did, the first thing into your head would be "they have no right". Im sure the "let people make their own opinions on whether they are going to throw rascist insults at somebody" crowd, and by that I include everyone from nick griffith to you, are the first to complain when nepotism affects you life, such as being denied a job because the employer doesnt like people with ginger hair say, ot someone who doesnt come from "round here", not that I am saying you have found yourself in these circumstances.

Also, what about a court of law, where a judge hands you a particularly heavy sentence for something minor, and says, " well, hes a wicker" or something similair. Im sure the attitude that whatever a person decides on the subject is right, which you have advocated for each individual, would very quickly dissapear.

[JAWS]

You didnt say racism is wrong, correct, but it simply is. In your terms, what about walking along the street and every person who walked past you hurled abuse at you. It would eventually get to you, and once it did, the first thing into your head would be "they have no right". Im sure the "let people make their own opinions on whether they are going to throw rascist insults at somebody" crowd, and by that I include everyone from nick griffith to you, are the first to complain when nepotism affects you life, such as being denied a job because the employer doesnt like people with ginger hair say, ot someone who doesnt come from "round here", not that I am saying you have found yourself in these circumstances.
Weezer 316, you are right, it does eventually get to you. That is one of the reasons I came to the conclusion that humanity is deserving of equal contempt until they show otherwise. What their race, colour or creed happens to be is totally irrelevant.


Also, what about a court of law, where a judge hands you a particularly heavy sentence for something minor, and says, " well, hes a wicker" or something similair. Im sure the attitude that whatever a person decides on the subject is right, which you have advocated for each individual, would very quickly dissapear.
Are you suggesting that Judges are racist?

[landmarker]

Landmarker, you logic, if you can call it the, is almost certianly built on shaky foundations.

You didnt say racism is wrong, correct, but it simply is. In your terms, what about walking along the street and every person who walked past you hurled abuse at you. It would eventually get to you, and once it did, the first thing into your head would be "they have no right". Im sure the "let people make their own opinions on whether they are going to throw rascist insults at somebody" crowd, and by that I include everyone from nick griffith to you, are the first to complain when nepotism affects you life, such as being denied a job because the employer doesnt like people with ginger hair say, ot someone who doesnt come from "round here", not that I am saying you have found yourself in these circumstances.

Also, what about a court of law, where a judge hands you a particularly heavy sentence for something minor, and says, " well, hes a wicker" or something similair. Im sure the attitude that whatever a person decides on the subject is right, which you have advocated for each individual, would very quickly dissapear.

I think I've made it reasonably clear that I would not advocate 'hurling abuse' at anyone. A Scotish judge, or an English one for that matter would be most unlikely to discriminate against anyone because they were from Wick. If they did so it would be utterly wrong & I'd be amongst the first to say so.

If, however, an employer does not want 'ginger haired' people in his organisation then in my opinion he's entitled to be selective. Not many would want to work for such a nutcase anyway so why worry? I wouldn't.

[weezer 316]

Equal contempt? Its a wonder anyone will talk to you at all. But its your life. And no, I am not saying judges are rascist,though no doubt a few are, like any section of the population.

[JAWS]

Equal contempt? Its a wonder anyone will talk to you at all. But its your life. And no, I am not saying judges are rascist,though no doubt a few are, like any section of the population.
Everybody gets an equal opportunity to show otherwise, that way everybody starts at the same level, otherwise I would be showing some sort of prejudice and I have no wish to attract that sort of label.

[Dons_Lad]

I don't mind people hurling abuse at players as they've paid their money and if there team is playing crap, then rightly so, but racial abuse, definately no.

[weezer 316]

Well why not just be civil to everyone to begin with, that way they all start level and all get an equal opportunity to prove other wise. And it might stop one or two racist insults that are totally uncalled for in the process,such as the eto'o incident?

[JAWS]

Well why not just be civil to everyone to begin with, that way they all start level and all get an equal opportunity to prove other wise. And it might stop one or two racist insults that are totally uncalled for in the process,such as the eto'o incident?
I've never said I am uncivil to people, that would be impolite.

Seeing there seems to be a wish for everybody to have a label hung on them and have to conform to some "Norm" I simply chose my own way of dealing with such problems.

I'm still trying to discover how an inanimate entity called an "Institution" can be racist unless, that is, every individuals in that Institution are racists.

If I am not overtly racist then I am labelled as inadvertently racist or subconsciously racist.

It doesn't matter how hard I try or how well I behave, one way or another it will be decided that I am racist, even by those who do not even know of my existence.

The conclusion I arrived at is that in order to avoid the accusation I held anybody to be worthy of some sort of contempt not afforded to others I would hold everybody in equal contempt.

I find having a "Label" hung on me for not complying to someone else's conformity very offensive, so I deal with it in my own way.

To keep everybody happy I treat everybody equally with contempt in order not to single any particular group out. It seems to be the only fair way to do it.

[weezer 316]

Well im not going to get into an arguement about institutional racism or the assumption that some have already decided you are racsit, for what ever reason.

By being civil, what i meant was being nice, saying please and thank you etc. Contempt is usually something i see manifesting itself as an open dislike, such as using offensive language or rude gestures. What you see it as is of course up to you. I certianly wouldnt want to impose conformity on you.

Now, back to Eto'o. i agree that him walking will almost certinaly encourage other pee brained loons to dish out the same. My original point, as well as the original post, was to affirm our belief that he shouldnt have to stand for that, and any reaction short of serios assault, a rascist retort and murder would have bee acceptable. Him walking certianly wasnt an over reaction.

[JAWS]

Well im not going to get into an arguement about institutional racism or the assumption that some have already decided you are racsit, for what ever reason.

By being civil, what i meant was being nice, saying please and thank you etc. Contempt is usually something i see manifesting itself as an open dislike, such as using offensive language or rude gestures. What you see it as is of course up to you. I certianly wouldnt want to impose conformity on you.

Now, back to Eto'o. i agree that him walking will almost certinaly encourage other pee brained loons to dish out the same. My original point, as well as the original post, was to affirm our belief that he shouldnt have to stand for that, and any reaction short of serios assault, a rascist retort and murder would have bee acceptable. Him walking certianly wasnt an over reaction.
He shouldn't have to stand for that sort of abuse. My only concern is that he morons shouting the abuse could well see him walking as some sort of "victory".

If the game concerned is under UEFA or FIFA then the answer is simple.
The Club concerned and all their players should be banned from games under their jurisdiction for a period of five years minimum.
Kicking them in the Bank Balance is usually a good "Attention Getter".
It also sends a loud and clear signal to Clubs with fans who behave in a similar manner, both in Spain and elsewhere.

A warning that such "Leniency" will not be shown in future should also be added just to add a little uncertainty.