() – This Sunday, England will face Serbia in their first match of Euro 2024, hosted by Germany. The British Police assured members of the racially diverse England team that any online racist abuse they receive during the tournament will be taken very seriously.
But there is a crucial backstory from a few years ago.
After losing the Euro 2020 final against Italy on penalties in July 2021, three of the England team’s black stars – Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka – were subjected to a torrent of vile and racist insults in Internet.
The outrage was widespread. Several people who had posted hateful messages were arrested and there was a national wave of sympathy and support for the three young players. Prince William, President of the English Football Association (FA), said he felt “disgusted” by what happened.
Since then, the FA, UEFA and FIFAthe international body that governs football, visibly intensified their fight against racism. They have implemented strategies focused on preventing, eradicating and punishing racist abuse, not only on the field of play and in the stands, but also on social networks.
Although terrible incidents continued to tarnish the so-called beautiful game at home and abroad, in light of these high-level efforts to combat discrimination, one could be forgiven for optimistically thinking that the tide was turning.
One could conclude, for example, that this Monday’s judicial decision in Spain to impose prison sentences on three Valencia fans for uttering racist insults is proof of European football’s new, harder line against racism. The offenders were sentenced in Spain to 8 months in prison and a two-year ban on access to stadiums after uttering racist insults against Vinícius Júnior, of Real Madrid, last year.
All of this brings me back to Saka, the only footballer of the trio of victims of the post-Euro 2020 backlash to be included in this year’s squad.
Saka could reasonably have expected that he could get on the plane to Germany for this Sunday’s game against Serbia with the assurance that he would not be harassed again, or at least not to anywhere near the same extent. Because everyone understands it, right? Officially, there is zero tolerance for racism in football. That means black and brown players across Europe should finally feel protected, even respected, right?
Saka knows that there will be UEFA observers at all Euro 2024 matches and that they will be on the lookout for racist incidents. The federation’s social media team will scour online platforms for offensive messages, press for their removal and report perpetrators to the police, who have promised to take legal action wherever possible.
But racism is once again in the news in the world of English football, reminding us of one of life’s most important lessons: never take progress for granted. And this time the alleged culprit is an entity that sports oversight bodies appear to have overlooked in their anti-discrimination campaigns: the mainstream press.
Several days ago, at Wembley Stadium, England lost a non-competitive friendly match against Iceland 1-0, to boos from disgruntled home fans. Saka, who had just recovered from an injury, was substituted in the 65th minute of the match.
However, the next morning, it was Saka’s image that several mainstream media outlets selected to illustrate the defeat, accompanied by sensational headlines, including one that read “Black Ice.”
Some critical observers noted that in busy newsrooms, journalists sometimes make thoughtless decisions. I think this was more than that. “I see it as an attempt by professionals who should know better to make a black player take the blame for a disappointing performance by the entire team.”
Ian Wright, commentator and former player, immediately denounced him in X, writing: “We can all see what is happening and who is being made the face of defeat.” Sir Lewis Hamilton shared a Versus post on his Instagram account that read: “We must hold the English media accountable for systematically vilifying black players… This endemic racial discrimination has no place in football, however. , countless news outlets suggest otherwise.”
This Monday, Tony Burnett, CEO of the charity anti-discrimination Kick It Outpublished an open letter to the press, reminding them of the horrors of Euro 2020 and asking: “Has the media learned nothing?”
Burnett is right, of course. No one in the British media can claim to not realize how damaging racial bias can be. When you select an image of a black player for the sports page of a major media outlet after a national team loss, you help set the tone for the entire country’s reaction.
You give Internet trolls, soccer fans, and teenagers competing in the park permission to always blame the black player if things go wrong in a game. And for some people – those who carry hate in their hearts – it’s not a big leap from doing that to blaming black people if things go wrong in the country. For example, the ease with which several conservative politicians have recently whipped up hatred with what many consider racist catcalls should give pause to anyone with a public forum.
You would have to be extraordinarily naïve to think that systemic racism has been eradicated in the UK, and while recent protests and scandalous investigations have undoubtedly raised awareness and won new allies for the anti-racist cause, we must not become complacent. . Football, like society, has a long and shameful history of dehumanizing people based on their race or ethnicity. While it is crucial to point out the significant shortcomings of national and international organizations in ridding sport of all forms of discrimination, as several key figures have done, we should support their efforts to rid sport of all forms of discrimination. We should be grateful for the heroic work of anti-racism charities such as Show Racism the Red Card and Kick It Out, who fight racism in football and beyond through campaigns and educational programmes.
But above all, we must take personal responsibility for our actions and never forget that racism is ready to rear its ugly head at the slightest provocation. It is as important as ever to be aware of what we say, what we publish and share on the Internet and the images we decide to publish.
I hope that the English team wins Euro 2024. If they don’t, I hope that no player, regardless of their skin color, becomes a scapegoat and bears the weight of the disappointment of an entire nation. . At the end of the day, football is just a game. But the best elements of this sport are trying to fight hate, and each of us must stand on their side.
Editor’s note: Keith Magee is a senior fellow and visiting professor of cultural justice at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London. He is a lecturer and professor of practice in social justice at the University of Newcastle School of Law and author of “Prophetic Justice: Race, Religion and Politics”. The opinions expressed in this comment are his own. Read more opinions on .
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