*I am in no way insinuating that any member or employee of Zenit St. Petersburg Football Club is racist, or racially inclined. I am referring to the openly racist fans, as described by Dick Advocaat in his interview.
Let us be clear from the start:
I am not a Rangers fan.
I have little interest in the SPL (Scottish Premier League)
And I am incensed.
Not because Rangers lost, but because the most racially slanted football club in Europe (that I know of) was firstly allowed to compete in UEFA's second largest tournament, and then went on to win the event.
And their racist fans were singing all the way, the men taking their shirts off to proudly display that they too, were white.
Their celebrating was of little doing by Zenit themselves, moreover Rangers not showing up to play, unable to hold on to the ball, sitting deep and absorbing what Zenit threw at them.
The first half proved to be an entirely one sided affair with Zenit taking all the possession, but doing little to nothing with it.
Both Rangers and Zenit were lucky not to give away penalties, both for handballs, Rangers nearly called in the first half, Zenit in the second.
The second half was more balanced, with Rangers having more possession and chances, but, alas, the goal that broke Scottish hearts came on 73 minutes, with a clever through ball splitting the Rangers' defence.
Rangers' response was non-forthcoming, changing formations to go 4-3-3, which ended up looking more like big-clump-small-clump chasing the ball around.
With virtually no defensive players left on the field, Zenit scored their second in the 93rd minute to finally crush Rangers' attempts at a comeback, sending their already delirious fans to a place of mad joy:
Their prized all white team had won UEFA's second biggest prize.
So why am I so incensed? Because it's not due to a Rangers' loss. It's that UEFA has just lain down and forgotten all it's been preaching about racism in football.
I'm sure most people have seen over the past few years, UEFA's campaign of "Kick Racism Out of Football," but I can't but help feel, UEFA just undid all their hard work by allowing Zenit to compete.
Anyone who can be bothered to look, and even those who aren't are well aware that coach Advocaat will not sign any non-white players because the fans do not tolerate them. And UEFA is allowing these fans' team to compete why?
Because now, you have every Zenit St. Petersburg fan running around, convinced that they're all white bigoted strategy is the right one, where in the world today, it is not, nor should it be tolerated as such.
Congratulations to UEFA on failing the ethnically diverse, and good people in general, and commiserations to Rangers.
Better luck next year.
Both of you.
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2 months ago
You’ve echoed thoughts I’ve had for many years. UEFA pay lip service to the “Kick Racism” campaign. Almost every instance of racism in football that has been proven beyond doubt has gone unpunished and when UEFA have decided to “take action” and issue fines the level of fines has been so insignificant as to be laughable. I would rather they stop the campaign all together rather than treat the whole racism issue with such disdain.
2 months ago
racism is ignorant and to these people their ignorance is bliss. Don't take away from these players their achievement though thats unfair. Russia as a nation has massive problems with racism for many more reasons than a football team comprising of white players. If the fans of said team are stupid enough to be racist they will surely be educated when they take on the more cosmopolitan teams of the champions league. And the lesson will be all the more crushing when they realise that they are living in some sort of strange aryan dreamland. This team however played well drilled and attractive football that produced results. It is very rare to find a racist sportsmen at the top level as they are frequently part of mixed race teams and have respect for the teamates they play with and the opponents they face. I think it is ridiculous of you to suggest that they should not have been allowed to compete. If this were to happen why not ban all spanish teams from europe and their national team from the euro's and the world cup?
from 2 months ago
Your right, reading back perhaps I didn't comend the players enough, becuase, as you pointed out, their achievement was great, they are a fantastic team and their acomplishment is immense.
They knew how to play excellent football, and credit to Advocaat for excellent managing.
2 months ago
Sure, let's talk about Zenit's fans...
Did you even bother to read about the disgusting behaviour (after the match) of the Ranger fans? Or is it to difficult to criticize your own countrymen?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1958668/Uefa-Cup-violence-Manchester-in-Champions-League-TV-U-turn-after-football-riots.html
I hope conclusions will be drawn and England will not be allowed to host finals or major international tournaments until it finally resolves it's problems with it's 'fans' misbehaviour.
No good word for the blatant racism of Zenit's fans, but your commentary is a bit too much of 'the pot calling the kettle black'.
Glasgow Rangers performance was a disgrace for football, playing the cowardly tactics of non-football that we have become too accustomed to in Europe. Rangers got what they deserved. And their fans behaviour was just unacceptable.
from 2 months ago
Criticize my own countrymen? Pot calling the kettle black? Excuse me?
Firstly, I am not Scottish. I was born in Virginia USA, and I am English and Australian through my father. I am not Scottish; they are not my countrymen.
Secondly, I will criticize whoever I please, with good reason, and will continue to do a far better job than you did in your attempts to belittle me.
Thirdly, I did not read about the Rangers' fans appalling behavior until this morning, while I finished this article last night. And yes, their behaviour is inexcusable, but what on earth are you talking about saying it's England's fans who misbehaved?
Glasgow is in Scotland, so a Scottish team with Scottish Fans went to Manchester (England) for the final.
Get your geography straight, and your facts, which will hopefully prevent you from spouting tripe in the future.
2 months ago
"all white team had won UEFA's second biggest prize"
Moron, before you write something, can you actually research the topic
Two Koreans, Argentinean and Turk on the roster hardly make this team all white.
from 2 months ago
I am referring to the colour of skin here, as it is what matters to the Zenit fans. I am more than aware that their were varying origins. I call them all white becuase not one of them is colored in any way.
Maybe you should think a little outside the box.
2 months ago
I guess pointing only black people as colored is thinking outside of box.
Highly doubt that Koreans or Latino people will agree with you
"And their racist fans were singing all the way, the men taking their shirts off to proudly display that they too, were white."
Sorry for being born white (most of Russians sadly :) are), next time in order not to offend you we will keep shirts on.
2 months ago
How convenient, when Scotland wins we're all British, when they misbehave their Scots, give me a break.
In my opinion football won last night, regardless of how you somehow seem to know every single Zenit fan's personal thoughts...
The real problem was, as usual, with the British fans...
Happy now?
2 months ago
That you somehow didn't hear about the riots after a loss by a British team is a poor excuse, you really expected the British hooligans to 'go quietly into the night' after a defeat?
A fact is that football won last night, regardless of how you somehow seem to know every single Zenit fan's personal thoughts... The real problem was, as usual, with the British hooligans...
You were first in to rant about 'Zenit's racist fans', I guess one of them being stabbed inside the (British) stadium was not enough. And please spare me the: " it was just a handfull of hooligans spoiling it for the majority of otherwise peaceful and non-racist British fans'. Because we both know that that just is not true...
2 months ago
You are wrong about them not having any non white players. There are three Korean players in that team if i remember correctly. Yeah , they do not have any BLACK players as of now.
2 months ago
Also if you know anything about how a football club is run , you should be aware of the fact that the club cannot do anything to change the nature of their support. Suppose skinhead x decides to support Manchester United one fine day without doing anything 'overtly" racist , Man u cannot do anything about it.
The fans might be racist but then there are such fans all over the world. The team they played against , Glasgow Rangers have the reputation of having some of the most Secterian and Racist fans in Europe. Swastika Flags and Union Flags were a common sight till the early 90's.
Plus , judging by my experiences with racialist people, they do not differentiate between the category of non whites. By that I mean a Black , an Indian , A Mexican , An Arab etc are all the same to them , i.e, Non white.
2 months ago
It's funny how many journalists have commented on this issue without knowing about the issues involved. Practically none of them has read the Russian version of Advocaat's interview, for example. These lazy hacks have never even been to a Russian game, and yet somehow they feel qualified to comment on it. Yes, Zenit has racist fans. Yes, they should be condemned. But they are in a minority. Anyone would think that the Petrovsky was like a lynch mob on match days. That is not so. Zenit have some of the most loyal and passionate fans in Russia. Any club would be proud to have them (the racist minority apart). It is true that racism is a problem in Russia (but not just there). However -and this is not meant as a justification of the racism- such incidents were common in Britain when the first black players started playing around the turn of the 1980s. Russia, in terms of its multicultural development (if I can put it that way) is way behind where the UK was even then. To take an example: I live in Moscow, and you can go for days -literally- without seeing a black face here. In London, you go on the Tube, and half the carriage will be speaking in a language other than English. In Russia, practically the entire train will be speaking in Russian. In St Petersburg, the situation is similar. There are a few black students, and that's basically it. Given that racism still exists in Britain, it is hardly surprising that it exists in Russia too.
Another thing: when players are bought, the club wants to make sure that they will be happy in the local environment. You can see this happening in Britain, where London is a popular destination for foreign players due to its cosmopolitan nature and international connections. Russia, particularly if you don't speak Russian, is a very difficult place to come to. The culture is different. The food is different. The language is different. Even the alphabet is different. In Saint Petersburg, the weather is generally dank and dismal, and in the winter there's barely any sunlight (in midsummer, by contrast, there's barely any night). Now, I'm not saying black players couldn't adapt to this, but it's worth bearing in mind that Zenit have never signed any British, French, German, Italian or Spanish players either before you start claiming that their transfer policy is racist. Even Dominguez was signed from Rubin Kazan, so he was already used to playing in Russia.
Zenit's transfer policy has won them the Russian league and the UEFA Cup. You buy players because they fit into the team, not to give it a racial balance. I don't see why they should apologise for it (even if I do think they could do with another striker, and at least one more defender).
Two more points crossed my mind: there are a fair number of people living in Britain of ascent descent. Lots of them have grown up playing football. Yet hardly anyone from an Indian, Chinese or Pakistani background plays in the English football league. Does this mean all the clubs are racist, or have a policy of not signing such players? And another thing: when Celtic won the European Cup in 1967, they famously did so with a team of players all born within a 30-mile radius of Celtic Park. This achievement is rightly a source of immense pride for Celtic fans, and nobody calls them racist for emphasing the fact. But when Zenit fans show extra pride in the fact that many of their players are Russian, if not from the St Petersburg itself, they are labelled racist.
2 months ago
ascent = Asian (!)
2 months ago
WHATS WRONG WITH AN ALL WHITE TEAM?? IS IT AGAINST THE RULES?.
15 days ago
Check out the Italian and Spanish leagues. I believe it is a little larger of a problem there.
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