Special Report: Racism in Football – the ugly face our beautiful game cannot seem to shake

Special Report: Racism in Football – the ugly face our beautiful game cannot seem to shake

Oct 27, 2012 9:00:00 AM

Has the sport’s tainted past resurfaced, or had every truly gone away? Goal.com looks at the state of the modern game

The abuse directed at members of England’s Under-21 side in Serbia was the latest episode of racism resurfacing in the modern game.

Football, many had hoped, had shed its ugly face, but all too alarmingly it appears to have simply lay dormant.

The events in Krusevac followed incidents in which factions of Croatian and Russian showered opposition players with abuse during Euro 2012, Luis Suarez and Manchester United captain Patrice Evra’s altercation at Anfield a little over 12 months ago, and more recently, John Terry’s FA charge for using abusive language towards QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.

Ahead of the United’s clash with Chelsea, where Terry’s team-mate Ashley Cole will meet Rio Ferdinand for the first time since the fallout from the Terry-Anton Ferdinand affair, Goal.com caught up with former Kick it Out founder director and FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) executive director Piara Powar, ex-Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and Goal.com’s Amar Singh, as we take at look at football’s biggest problem, and one it’s struggling to shake.

Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Sign up today with Coral and get a £50 FREE bet - no strings attached!
Sign up today with BetVictor and get a £25 FREE BET!