Euro Final on 11th July was supposed to be the pinnacle of football. We saw fans returning to the grounds after almost 18 months. TV viewership was through the roof as well. But it all changed with how Euro finished – England dramatically losing to Italy in a penalty shootout at Wembley.
England international players Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were racially abused on various social media platforms after missing penalties. England manager Gareth Southgate was disgusted with the abuse received by these young players and told in a press conference that it is unforgivable and not what they stand for. This incident has once again shown to the football governing bodies that more needs to be done to fight against racism. Premier League started supporting the ‘Black Lives Matter movement by taking the knee before the start of every match last year. England players have continued this before and during the tournament to show their unity in a fight against inequality and racism. This act caused anger among parts of the British fanbase who chose to boo as the players knelt.
The reality is racism is an issue in football. Some people in our society feel that it is acceptable to criticize players for their sporting actions based on their skin colour. Education must be provided at the school level so that our next generation can differentiate between what is acceptable and what is not. Sadly, Football fans and players receiving racial abuse on social media is becoming a common occurrence. Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc. need to take some responsibility and verify every account with proof of identification to stop online racism or abuse. Similarly, football governing bodies need to implement strict rules to stop fans from abusing players on the ground. We understand that people will not change immediately but collectively we all need to take a step forward to be better.
Sports Geek 