by Shaun Chapman

Created on: September 09, 2008

There are several reasons why I think racism remains in european soccer now and most likely to remain in the future.Some of the reasons are social for instance any young unemployed youth aged eighteen to twenty five are easy targets for far right and facist groups who play on there fear and vulnerability making them think that going to a soccer match and chanting racial abuse, swearing, and throwing things at players of color will help them vent their anger and for ninety minutes or so it does.But after the match that anger continues against opposeing fans or other innoncenct members of the public.Then you have the older fans in the over twenty fives category who are frustrated and for various reasons from thier sister or daughter is seeing a man of color,they work with a foreigner who does alot of over time,they live on a street where there are more minorities than whites,they think all black people are drug dealers and pimps,black people are only good at sport and nothing else and a whole heap of other stereo typical negative reasons.So yes we all have an idea who the culprits are and have a few reasons why,but how come you hardly hear about it in other sports? Is it because soccer is a world renown sport? compared to say cricket or american football which are less likely to be watched in europe so have less hardcore fan based.Yes soccer is a world renown sport but perhaps the real reason you get so much racism in soccer and not other sports is as simple as they wouldnt tolerate it in other sports.Athletics is a world renown sport but you never hardly if ever hear of any incidents about racist thugs etc.

What you have to look at in European soccer is that when there has been well publicised incidents of racism not just in with the fans but top coaches and ex managers etc too.Most of the time there has been no serious repremand and if FIFA and other football authorities dont take serious certain incidents that have happend at managerial level how is respect meant to filter down to the terraces.A good example is the case concerning Spanish coach Luis Arogones with his racial rants or comments about the brilliant Thierry Henry to his fellow team mate Jose Antonio Reyes. When questioned about this incident coach Luis Arogones reply was 'he was trying to fire up his player'so is he saying that he could only fire up his player by using racial abuse? then he is a rubbish coach and should be fired like you would in any job but this wasnt the case he was hit with a

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