Dani Alves on racism in football

Here in the UK we often lament about the state of racism within football, particularly in regard to abuse on and off the field. However, without becoming complacent, one of the finest defenders in the world - Dani Alves - who plays for the greatest club team on the planet - Barcelona - stated that:

Spain needs to look up to the ' UK when it comes to dealing with racism’,

adding,

when it occurs there, they take drastic action. But some people find it difficult to look up to others.’

Alves was commenting about last weeks ‘Classico’ game between Barcelona and Madrid, in which he was subject to sustained monkey chants from the Madrid fans. When asked about how he felt, he responded that it was upsetting, but argued that:

tackling racism in Spain is a lost battle. Education in Stadiums just doesn’t exist. I’ve been in Spain for ten years, and it has occurred from the first day. It hasn’t only happened in the Bernabeu but rather all the stadiums we visit.’

One of the biggest problems with Spanish football and their society in general is that there is a collective denial that their racial abuse is nothing more than football banter. In 2007 the then Spanish manager Luis Aaronges fumed, he would not be lectured by the ‘Colonist England’ after he was overheard calling Arsenal’s then Thierry Henry, ‘Ablack piece of sh…’.

The Spanish FA fined him 2.000 Euros which he refused to pay. No further sanctions were given.

There is no doubt that the on-going battles we are having here in the UK will have an effect on other places in Europe and beyond. When listening to Alves it's clear that we are setting the standard. Furthermore, with some 35% of Premiership players being Black, other top players of colour will consider first, the English premiership, not just because it is financially lucrative and one of the most competitive leagues in the world, but also because they will be assured that racial abuse by fans or players will not be tolerated.

Simon Woolley