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A-League shows up Europe in fight against racism

18th November, 2011
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Sepp Blatter has actually been pretty good for football in Australia.
Roar Guru
18th November, 2011
47
1107 Reads

Seven seasons of the A-League and I have heard it called many things by its critics – It’s plastic. It’s fake. It’s boring. It’s sub-standard. It’s badly managed.
And, to be honest, in the cruel light of day some of these points are valid and constructive.

In the modern drama of the A-League, this veritable Ancient Greek chorus of criticism does play a very important role in the evolution and development of Australia’s elite football competition.

But, when it comes to racism in the A-League, the chorus falls silent. A majority of its members even let out a smile.

As Europe struggles to boot football racism off the pitch, out of the stands and into the gutter, the A-League can proudly boast an outstanding record in regards to this important issue.

Put simply, the A-League and the national football team are a celebration of Australia’s inclusive multicultural society and the fans who attend the games are a reflection of this.

The football in A-League might not match the stratified heights of the European football, but at least the fans who attend the matches don’t have to endure the nonsense emanating from their stadiums.

Sure, there’s passion and parochialism in the A-League. It’s football. But, unlike Europe, we won’t tolerate idiots transforming football support into the abject racial vilification. In fact, the perpetrators run the real risk of public humiliation.

Which is why, when we look at European football we shake our heads in disappointment. From East to West football allegiances are exploited and then hijacked to become a vehicle for racial prejudice.

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Explanations are then trotted out about mono-cultural societies struggling to adjust to a globalized football. But really, how serious are they in tackling this scourge when gutless European officials allow this poison to flow unchecked at European football grounds via lenient punishments.

And, to top it off, this week we had the spectacle of FIFA President Sepp Blatter confirm this indifference by suggesting that players should accept on-field racism by casually shaking its hand at the end of the game.

In Sepp’s world, why leave it to the idiots on the terraces trying to destroying a player’s dignity when it can be done more effectively from closer quarters.
Racism is no friend of football, but in Europe it’s currently riding sidecar.

One day there will be officials brave enough to unhitch this unwelcome passenger and join the real football fans of Europe to finally kick racism out of the beautiful game.

Officials that will act on what The Special AKA so eloquently ask of everybody.

“If you have a racist friend, now is the time, now is the time for your friendship to end”

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Athas Zafiris is on Twitter @ArtSapphire

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