There is only one way to sort out racist Uefa

By Tony Attwood

We’ve covered this so many times before but it keeps coming back.   Uefa is racist.  Want to prove it?   The charges laid against the Serbian FA after their latest bust up in their under 21 game v England did not include a single word about racism and racist language.  They were done for improper conduct.

Why did Uefa hide the racism charges?  Because they too are racist, and can’t see racism when it smacks them round the face.

True, even the lily livered FA called the behaviour of Serbia “unacceptable” and mentioned “racial abuse.”

For Uefa however the deal is that the next under 21 game (expected crowd 3000) will be played in a closed stadium.   Two coaches got bans, (half suspended).  Some players got bans.  And as we, and everyone else has said, Nic Bendtner got an £80k fine.   Serbia FA got £65k fine.

So Uefa lacks all credibility.  We know that.  But each time the FA does sweet FA so its credibility rating, currently standing at minus 25 on a scale of one to ten goes lower.  That is the FA who kowtowed to Fifa to try and get that corrupt and bent organisation to come to England for a world cup, so we could have half our London roads closed again, and import a bunch of people who would have no tax obligations in the UK.   As if we weren’t bust enough already.

The FA can take no credit for what it did over Luis Suarez and John Terry as long as it plays with Uefa.  Pulling out of Uefa would hurt England for a short while, but the moral ground always attracts others who believe there is a right and a wrong in such affairs.  Others would quickly join.
But no.  England wants the Euro 2020 final, so racism, oh well.  We do our bit.  Can’t tell Johnny Foreigner how to behave can we?  It’s different overseas.

But this sends out all the wrong signals on a day when Manchester City have registered their “strong disappointment” with the FA complaining about Gareth Barry’s one-match ban for his verbals against Mark Clattenburg.

Yes, just at the moment when signals should be sent out, Man City are doing it their way and challenging authority.

So what we have is Uefa being outrageous, and the FA expressing regret.  The FA doing its one match ban thing for abuse of a fourth official, and Man City express annoyance.

And that’s it, except that Man City have just upped the issue by requesting that the FA respond with its observations.

Now I don’t think I have ever heard of this before.  A club making a complaint about a judgement and then requiring an explanation.

So what should clubs do?  Start this “we welcome your immediate response” lark with the FA?  And should the FA follow the Man C move by writing to Uefa in a similar way?

What I am trying to say here, in my usual mixed way, is that this is all the wrong way round.  Uefa make a total mess as always of racist affairs, and then the FA mutter but do nothing.  Man City don’t like a player getting a one match ban so start questioning the law and ask for full explanations.

The FA should turn on Uefa now, demand proper action, or state that we will pull out and do our own thing.   And then invite other nations that themselves have noted the idiocy and incompetence in Uefa and join England.

Of course that costs everyone money.  Of course English sides couldn’t be in Europe.   But sometimes, just sometimes, morals and ethics are one hell of a lot more important than money.

12 Replies to “There is only one way to sort out racist Uefa”

  1. Which big football country would join in this push against racism?? Spain?? Germany?? Portugal?? France??…fat chance. You may get Norway,Sweden and Iceland

  2. I do think Uefa would be worried if the FA would leave Uefa. Maybe not in a football way as England is …er… well not that successful in the European championships. But when it comes to club football they are important. I can imagine a CL without English clubs suddenly being not that attractive any more for the sponsors.

    Of course it would hurt the English clubs because it would mean a big loss of income, resulting in less money to pay on big stars. But would that be a bad thing?

  3. Think they should give John Terry an important role in the eufa structure , he is clearly right on the pulse in their way of thinking

  4. Racism is a very subtle prejudice and is not just the name calling and monkey actions seen in Europe. It is the actions of unequal opportunity and favour based on race.

    Every one of us has prejudice (style, colour, design, language, look, etc.), it is the basis of choice. When this prejudice is based on race and generally on skin colour then it becomes unsocial and unacceptable.

    I have seen racism in action on the football fields including the Emirates where a referee will converse with a known player rather than card him and just card the ‘Johnny foreigner’ at the first transgression. (you can go through some of your match reviews and check out the facts). It is this subtle racism that is potent.

    The ignorant ranting is nothing else but needs addressing correctly. My next paragraph might raise a smile but is ‘cleverly racist’.

    It is a black day as Football has gone bananas and the associations in charge of the game have used Platini’s French dressing to coat the evil of racism with fines that are laughable.

    Media and the English language can mould the mind of the reader into acceptance of racism with humour.
    The solution for racism in football is multicultural education and travel. Only sharing and living with other cultures can racist prejudice be reduced.

  5. so for UEFA showing a brand name on ha underwear is more unacceptable than racism. 100000 fine against one player but 65000 against the whole Serbian FA. who runs UEFA? Neanderthals! this just goes on to show the lack of seriousness from Platini and Co.

  6. Wot ? No vacancies for the family Cole ?
    @ Menace – Wot ? No brown nosing , being yellow or speaking with forked tongue ?

  7. Which brings me to this old joke ( shut up !Enough with that fake groans !)- The Lone Ranger and his trusted sidekick , Tonto ,are being chased by hundreds of Apaches ,Soon they see to their right hundreds of Comanches joining in .Suddenly to their left hundreds of Cree warriors also join the chase .As they ride away ,suddenly their path is blocked by hundreds of Sioux braves .
    As they reign in ,the Lone Ranger turns to his old friend and says ,” Well ,Tonto this looks like it’s the end of us .”
    Tonto , with a sad wistful look says ,” What do you mean ‘us’, paleface ?”
    AWWW !Didn’t it also remind you of certain fairweather Arsenal fans !

  8. I sincerely hope Man City get an explanation – the FA should be accountable for justifying it’s decisions. Not that I agree with what Barry did, or that he shouldn’t be punished, but I would like to see justification with all judgements – it makes them more accountable to us.

  9. RobL,
    Yes, you’ve hit two birds with one stone: MC for whatever it’s guilty of and establishing a precedent of public justification of its decisions.

  10. Menace- I have to disagree with your statement, ¨Every one of us has prejudice (style, colour, design, language, look, etc.), it is the basis of choice.¨ In actual fact the word prejudice in your sentence should be replaced by judgement or preferences. Prejudice is a negative term meaning ¨an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason . 2. any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.¨ Whereas styles and looks are often chosen based on logical and emotional preference for a pleasing colour or form, far from racism.
    Tony & Walter: As a retired referee, I have seen horrible racism and ethnicity in Football games, from players, fans (even supporters of the same team) and even other officials. This is a societal and cultural issue that has tainted football, perhaps the most ethnically diverse world sport. FIFA,EUFA and the FA all have one thing in common when it comes to dealing with racism-to them it is an almost non-existent irritation, like a pebble in one’s shoe, the more they shake their foot to remove it, the more they look silly and asinine! Why do they hide their heads in the sand? Because they risk losing money, being as corrupted as they are, they feel denial is better than action. If they don’t want to see it…they don’t…just like some referees I know. Racism will NEVER be eliminated from Football until the supporters and players unite and refuse to play or watch a team that has a racist history (Chelsea anyone?)until the racists are gone. It is interesting that Chelsea’s owner , a Russian, come from a country that is so anti-semitic that Israel considers it the spiritual homeland of anti-semitism in the world.

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