According to UEFA s logic, BLM movement is racist
UEFA has launched an investigation into a term used during a football match. The word uttered also appears in the name of a prominent anti-racism movement, but no one seems to care.
The football match between between Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir on 8 December has stirred up quite an international scandal. As is known, the match was stopped in the 14th minute because the fourth official, Romanian Sebastian Coltescu, allegedly made a racist remark to describe the Turkish team s player, Pierre Webo.
The disagreement stems from Coltescu using the word „negru”, the Romanian word for black, which is quite misleading as it resembles the offensive term „negro”. Although the referee said he did not call the player a negro, he only referred to his dark skin, the players were offended and began boycotting the game. The players of Istanbul, later joined by PSG s footballers, walked off the pitch and demanded the referee s replacement. An incident involving players from both teams walking off the pitch is simply unprecedented in the Champions League s history. The match was eventually finished the next day with a new team of referees, led by 37-year-old Danny Makkelie, a Dutch official.
Istanbul Basaksehir striker Demba Ba, originally from Senegal, got involved in a minor dispute during the match after he complained that whites are never called white, only blacks are called black.
fell sad about the act of racism in football and of this age @UEFA #DembaBa pic.twitter.com/9GZEoMZUSw
— Jake leke (@leke_jake) December 9, 2020
The incident was followed by plenty of comments by experts, journalists and footballers. One of them – 46-year-old Vikash Dhorasoo, a former PSG player of Indo-Mauritanian descent – said likened black players running on the pitch to their ancestors who kept running from their masters on the plantations.
Quand #VikashDhorasoo compare sur @franceinfo les footballeurs millionnaires noirs qui courent sur les pelouses aux esclaves qui couraient dans les plantations pour échapper aux coups de leurs maîtres???? pic.twitter.com/2W3VurMZOo
— Jean-Robert (@Jean_Robert_29) December 9, 2020
Meanwhile, in a recently emerged recording Pierre Webo, the player described as „black” by the referee, is heard insulting the same referee, saying Romanians are called gypsies in his country.
BREAKING: Voice from the back „In my country, Romanians are gypsy!” No comment.
Initially, I thought it was Topal saying it, judging by lip-reading. I have no certainty on the identity of the one who said it, so I won t advance any name. pic.twitter.com/cPauQ0lM4t— Emanuel Roşu (@Emishor) December 9, 2020
In recent months, representatives of various sports have been particularly sensitive to manifestations of racism. In the United States, home of the Black Lives Matter movement, players boycotted NBA games for three days at the end of August after two police officers shot 29-year-old African-American Jacob Blake in the back. The protest was initiated by Milwaukee Bucks players, who also made a statement wearing T-shirts with Black Lives Matter slogans.
Full statement from the Milwaukee Bucks: pic.twitter.com/jjGEyVcCmB
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020
UEFA ordered an investigation into the scandalous match involving PSG. They stressed that there is no room for any type of racism and discrimination in football.
L UEFA est consciente de l incident qui a eu lieu ce soir en Champions League lors du match entre Paris et Istanbul Basaksehir. Elle mène une enquête approfondie.
Le racisme et les discriminations, sous toutes leurs formes, n ont pas de place dans le football.
#NonAuRacisme— L UEFA ???????? (@UEFAcom_fr) December 8, 2020
If the word black is racist, BLM will soon be banned in America, because the letter B stands for Black, suggesting – along the same logic – that BLM is a racist organisation.
In a letter addressed to UEFA, V4NA asked whether the word black was racist, and whether UEFA thought that BLM was also a racist movement?