Racism & Football: A Conversation.

An article by Moses Teminijesu.

 It is simple, you are tired of hearing of this occurrence but at every uproar about racism from a top football league element to a footballer of colour, you cry foul on the media. Few days after the backlash and solidarity chants for the footballer by his club and fans, everything dies down it becomes a thing of the past until it recurs. Rinse and repeat! Rinse and repeat! It's tiring and exhaustive, the proportional efforts by the media and people in order to curb this issue can now be tagged as a "bandwagon effect" or a "thorough appeal to emotion" of the actual perpetrators. Has "Racism in Football" become mere propaganda that can be exploited? 

Football is the beautiful game and it is ours! It is the most unifying factor despite differences in race, colour, tribe, clan or continent. It harnesses a world of healthy competition amongst different people from all around the world and brings them to a center stage in which we watch and delight in. The attachment of feelings to this sport spurs emotions and emotions could prove to sort out itself as unpleasant depending on the situation. Psychologically, emotions birth racism.

In designation, football is worldwide and has become a sport that is collectively owned by everyone or so we think. The early phase, peak of the sport, its improvement and its commercialization is evident in the top European countries; the only recent adoption is by North and South American countries. Due to this, and like many other sectors in the European economy, people from all over the world flock towards the sport at these countries. Evidently, the football league system that is on in these European countries that millions watch daily. Then the cankerworm comes into play when sport comes on. 

Of course, we cannot blame these European countries for being the centerpieces of attraction when it comes to football, they have been able to paint a picture of solidarity about being at the forefront of the fight against racism. Well, I hate to break the ice here, racism is a system that is bigger than football or soccer itself. It relays itself like the tides of the ocean over the footballing world continually. Racism began way before football came into the limelight.

This write-up will not bore you with the details about the background to the insurgence of racism into the sport. We all understand that the nature of racism extends to the undieing hate humans have for themselves. In this light, I describe "racism as a coping mechanism adopted by individuals, organizations or system to subdue, subjugate or intimidate an individual or group of individuals into submission due to their difference in colour of the skin or descent through the use of words, actions or systemic indulgence."

In accordance with that description, here is my fabricated story, a white boy of American descent called White is born in Nigeria, he gets very good and skillful at football, becomes a football player and joins one of the top club teams in the Nigerian Professional Football League. Usually, he is a good player but any time his team loses or an opponent fan wants to get into his head,  they throw every sort of racial chant or infuriating object towards him even while playing. Despite this situation, the football club and the league White plays for stand in solidarity with him and make sure to prosecute any individual caught in the act. White is frustrated by the acts but he is unwavering, he understands that his colour is the problem in this situation. He gets called up into the Nigerian national team to represent in the world cup, since he's eligible by birth; and here comes the occasion. Nigeria miraculously gets to the world cup final and the match goes to penalties after a full time draw. As fate would have it, White is responsible for the last kick of the penalties, if he misses, Nigeria loses the world cup. Unfortunately, he misses and the whole of Nigeria is thrown into despair. White is devastated but there's little to nothing he can do to stop the wave of persecution he is about to face, whispers, sneers and pointing fingers were the highlight of his days henceforth. Claims about his descent and colour is brought into question, the generality of Nigerians feel that his allegiance is reliant on his skin colour so they question the penalty taken. Emotions are at an all time high as some Nigerians take to his social media accounts, send him various messages, his house spray painted, his public properties destroyed. Racial chants and abuses are cursed out at him...

Based on this context, it is expected that the football league, the national team and major media outlets stand in solidarity with White. Some culprits are traced, brought to justice and reprimanded by the appropriate authorities. As expected, this is done.

However, there is a big problem I will like to point out, White is psychologically traumatized by this. He understands that whatever he does and whatever decision he makes on the football pitch is attributed to his skin colour. The subtlety and peculiarity of the actions towards him is a constant reminder that he is never going to actually be a part of the Nigerian populace. He understands it is not their fault, right from birth, each Nigerian sees his colour first before any other thing. White, Red, Blue, Black, Brown, Yellow, Green colours have a stereotype attached to them and people around the world will judge based on the colour first before considering humanity. It is simply, "Perception".

When a football player experiences any form of racism on the pitch from another football player, a fan or on his social media account, people of his colour pick his side. The other colours on the other side, usually neutrality does not stand a chance. Individuals are called out. Organizations are called out.The other colour is blamed for not being able to take an insult and the claims about it being "racism" is just attention-seeking.

Most of the time, it is said that if a decision is made to penalize a person of colour or descent for reasons justified in a footballing world, the people with the same colour defend the actions of this individual and scream that he's being penalized because of his colour. The justification is that if another football player with a different colour is penalized for the same reasons, there will be more leniency. 

Like I pointed out before, racism is in every sector of the world. Football as a worldwide sport is just an avenue where it comes to the spotlight once in a while. So whether we like it or not, it will rear its ugly head every once in a while. It is also suggestive that it determines how a football player is treated in the background, the colour of his skin suggests the way he is treated by the club or country he plays for, his relationship with his coaches, colleagues and the fans.

Accordingly, here comes the big question: "Mr writer, what is the solution?"

What can be done?

FIFA, European football Authorities who are the major stakeholders in world football have experienced problems in relation to this issue and have taken various steps to curb racism. For example, in the past years, the English Football Association resorted to football players bending the knee before any match kicks off. Various fines levied on any football club whose fans are guilty of this. In recent years, stringent measures have been taken even to pinpoint individuals who are guilty on the social media. Footballing giant-clubs have followed suit in trying to get this issue to be a thing of the past. 

Yet, here comes the irony, football experts all around the world have questioned the genuineness behind the actions of the football authorities to squash racism. The claim here is that, if any form of racism occurs and there is an outrage, the league decides to publicly condemn and castigate such actions and get it over with. Getting over with in this sense is that, proper measures are taken but are questionable because it is just an effort to make the outrage go away and blow over like it is just another problem. This means the leagues are catered for as a financial institution or money-making machine: Racism is only squashed by these authorities with the intention to keep the football business running.

In my interview with a former football player, whose identity I will not disclose, he gives an example that the mere banana-throwing at an individual on the global stage is called out immediately and thankfully it is an effort whether genuine or not which must be applauded but what if it happens in a football league that is not top-tier. He lays that even in the running of the football club the administration of these clubs treat the players differently based on their descent. He also pointed out that despite the fact that these football players go on with it because they just want to get along and make their money. 

I ask him, "Sir, what can be done to stop this?"

He says, "Absolutely nothing, nothing".

Absolutely Nothing.

That's the solution and you wonder if that is the actual solution to the problem but... Be patient, let me elucidate his point. 

Racism is a general problem that cannot be construed outside football which makes it foundational. This brings about the thesis that the mere foundations of football is on racism and if the foundations is attacked the whole structure collapses. 

The foundation I speak of is the mentality of the various individuals involved in the sport whether red, brown, black, white or yellow. Impressive right, how can a man's mentality in relation to racism be cleansed. Let me give you a factual example, recently two black players of the same club in a top European league were reported to have gone into a fight in the changing room after a misunderstanding on the football pitch. Incidentally, after the reports, there were claims that the nature of the dispute and the club's actions on the issue were racially motivated due to the descent of one of the players. Whether these claims are true or not, one cannot but see the ridiculousness of it, how can football players of the same colour get woven into the context of racism due to a misunderstanding?

Apart from the fact that, low-tier leagues all over the world can emulate the stringent measures of the top-tier leagues and FIFA'S guidelines in order to curb this cankerworm, individuals that take part in any form should be penalized accordingly. Levity in relation to the issue and sweeping under the carpet should be stopped. Disciplinary actions or social media strategies to stop the acts should be taken. In essence this solutions do not still solve the problem satisfactorily.

There's a proper solution for racism worldwide we should be willing to assert as a whole: "No child is born racist".

Children are not born racist

Everyone was a child at one point in his or her life. So how does the concept of colour and its negativities come to play when we become adults and decide to indulge in football as a collective. Here you go, the system in place and the individual orientation of parents over the kids play a large role. What can be proposed is the revamping of the educational system around  the world so each child will not be able to see colour first but humanity first in whatever sport they take part in. 

Wait up, what about the parents? 

Can every racist parent be stopped from having children?

Football is our world. Let's save it.

Moses Teminijesu is a Nigerian law student and a freelancer, who does a little bit of everything. He is  currently an audacious, refined and unorthodox writer who dreams of using his writing to break boundaries.