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'Players seen as English when they score, and immigrants when they don't' - Fallout from Euro 2020 abuse

One football player says black players are seen as immigrants when they don't play well or score ...
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

20.35 12 Jul 2021


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'Players seen as English when...

'Players seen as English when they score, and immigrants when they don't' - Fallout from Euro 2020 abuse

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

20.35 12 Jul 2021


Share this article


One football player says black players are seen as immigrants when they don't play well or score on the pitch.

It comes after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says people "should be ashamed of themselves" for racially abusing England players after the country's Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.

Within minutes of the defeat on penalties after a 1-1 draw, the three players who missed spot-kicks in the shootout – Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka – were targeted with racist abuse online.

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Henry McKean went to a football summer camp in Castleknock, Dublin for The Hard Shoulder.

He spoke to Victor (16), a player and coach, who was born in Ireland with Nigerian heritage.

"I was born in Ireland, I lived in England for a couple of years; my Dad is Nigerian and my mum is South African", he says.

On the racial abuse of England players, he says: "I just knew as soon as they missed the penalties exactly what was going to happen to the boys - I feel bad for them.

"I just love the passion, I love the game, I love just playing it - it's just fun.

"I was thinking 'I hope the black players don't miss' because I knew exactly what was going to happen.

"My brother lives in England, he was at a pub, I actually had to call him after the match concerned for him because of what was going on in England afterwards.

" I feel like even racism I experienced it a lot more there than I did here.

"I experienced it a lot - playing football, walking down the street, anything.

"I'd be walking down the street [and] I'd just be called a word just cause they can."

Victor says when the players do well they are seen as 'English', but not when they miss.

"The players, they're seen as English when they're picked and when they're doing well.

"And then as soon as they're not doing well - when they're missing penalties, when they're not scoring goals - they're seen as immigrants and that's something that needs to change.

"Social media needs to do something to change this".

"They're players, they're people still, they don't need to be getting this - especially the last penalty, Bukayo Saka, he's only 19-years-old.

"No 19-year-old deserves that abuse, not at all".

 

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It comes just days after Dublin team Dynamo Ridgewood FC walked off the pitch on Saturday, when two of their players were racially abused.

Player and manager Keveen Tsakap said on Instagram: "We're a team of different backgrounds who just want to play a game of football on a Saturday.

"Don’t be blind, this sort of thing still happens in 2021 which saddens me but I am proud to be part of this club as we will always stand up against racism".

Keveen told Henry: "We were playing a match out in Edenmore Park, and two of our players got racially abused.

"One is of Japanese background and another one of Indian background... We decided that we were not going to continue on with the game.

"I spoke to the referee, I told the referee 'If this happens again we're walking off' - so I took all the lads and we said we'd walk off."

Keveen says they got good support from the other team.

"The reaction from most of them were good, they were very apologetic, the manager was very apologetic of what happened.

"Their captain had also apologised during the game to me".

Asked if he thought racism was present in Irish football, he says: "I think so yes, I completely agree with that.

"I've been playing here for the last 12/15 years, and it wasn't the first time that we were racially abused on the pitch.

"So I think it is in Ireland as well, yes".

'Players seen as English when they score, and immigrants when they don't' - Fallout from Euro 2020 abuse

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Main image: England's Bukayo Saka alongside manager Gareth Southgate following the UEFA Euro 2020 Final at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Picture by: Mike Egerton/PA Wire/PA Images

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Bukayo Saka Dynamo Ridgewood FC England Euro 2020 Henry McKean Jadon Sancho Keveen Tsakap Marcus Rashford Racial Abuse Racism The Hard Shoulder Victor

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