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Gerald Jacobs

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Gerald Jacobs,

Gerald Jacobs

Opinion

Football's foul play is a big problem

November 24, 2011 11:49
John Terry: accused of racism
3 min read

It hardly needs stating in a Jewish newspaper that racism is one of the most odious aspects of so-called civilised society. And perhaps the saddest of racism's manifestations is that which occurs within sport - the activity devoted to harnessing human aggression to the concept of fair play.

Of course, racism in sport does not exist in isolation. It flows from the same primeval swamp of ignorance in which all its other forms originate. But it is more blatant than most, subsisting as it does in a climate of baying crowds and cultivated rivalry - nowhere more so than in the planet's biggest sport, football.

More blatant and yet more tolerated. In July, the Israeli footballer Yossi Benayoun was met with antisemitic chanting from an 85,000-strong crowd in Kuala Lumpur, where he was playing for Chelsea in a "friendly" match against a Malaysian XI. Other Israelis, such as Ronnie Rosenthal and Avram Grant, have suffered similar abuse, primarily from British fans. Israel itself has all too often witnessed the spectacle of Jewish supporters yelling vile invective at Arab footballers.

Such incidents are routine and are, in any event, dwarfed by the amount of racist abuse directed at black footballers, of whom there are many thousands across the world. This is currently a hot topic. And the heat is being felt by two of football's least alluring personalities.