What Should be Done More or Differently Against Racism in Soccer?
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| Fig.1 "Anti Racism Campaigns" The Advertising Archives. 2005. TV Advert. <http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk/en/pages/image_map.html?selectedLevels%5B0%5D=Celebrities&level=2&search=TV+Advert+(Grab)&page=73> |
In the final game of the World Cup 2006 in Germany, Zinedine Yazid Zidane, one of the French soccer players gave Marco Materazzi, one of the Italian players a butt with his head and then Zidane was sent off the field. Later, Zidane admitted that he suffered a harsh remark of Materazzi, which is said to be related to racism (BBC SPORT Football World Cup 2006 I'm Sorry but No Regrets - Zidane).
Soccer cannot make the world united, but rather soccer has the danger of making the world divided. This phrase is seemingly strange, but this does not necessarily miss the point. This is because there are a lot of racial problems in soccer now, and many soccer players have got damaged owing to them. Statistics On Football-related Arrests ＆ Banning Orders by Home Office illustrates that from 2002 to 2009 more than 300 people were arrested on charges of racist chanting in the stadia. However, these figures show only the arrests perceived generally. Moreover, this statistics was compiled only in England and Wales. This means that this statistics did not include the arrests in Spain, which is known as a racist and xenophobic country. According to the European Commission, “the number of everyday situations in which foreigners face discrimination (in finding a place to live, for example) is rising” (Responding to Racism in Spain 2) in Spain, that is to say, many problems related to racism have happened also in Spain. On the whole, a lot of racist incidents have existed not only in England, Wales and Spain but also all over the world. Therefore, every soccer association including the international governing body of football, FIFA and Japan Football Association, should change their policies against racism in soccer more or differently. That is why two ways to remove racism from soccer are that, 1) every association including FIFA should create stricter regulations on eliminations of racism in soccer, and 2) managers and teachers should require children to take the education of the abolition of racism.
In the first place, it is necessary to inquire into the causes of racism in soccer before looking for the solutions for eliminating racism. There are three causes of racism in soccer. The first cause is relating to psychology, that is, when hostilities of players and spectators towards the opponent gets higher, they are likely to violate the opponent by racism. Moreover, when people’s frustrations get bigger, people become more aggressive impulsively, and they tend to try to find a target, such as the black people or the yellow races for the white people, and attack it to dissolve their frustrations. These two theories could be explained by the idea of Michael P. Levine, a professor of philosophy at the university of Western Australia, and Tamas Pataki, an honorary senior fellow in the Department of philosophy at University of Melbourne. According to that, people often displace their aggression onto scapegoats such as black and Jewish people (Levine and Pataki 193). In other words, people tend to reflect their hostility on a certain group of people who have different characteristics, for example, colors of skin or facial structures when they become aggressive and frustrated. Therefore, the racism results from their aggressive state of mind. Also the low educational level can cause the racism. Many soccer players all over the world grow up without a satisfactory education since they were children. Namely, there are a lot of soccer players who are not taught a moral education against racism. Moreover, not only soccer players but also lots of spectators at soccer games do not receive enough education against racism. According to one of the Brazilian soccer players, Daniel Alves, racists spectators are only uneducated about race, so it is the best way to have no relationship to those racists to be against racism (Dani Alves: Racism in Spanish Football Will Never Go Away | Mail Online). On the contrary, there seems to be some countries that take it for granted. For example, in Spain, the issue of discrimination has been settled so the pubic does not point it out (Responding to Racism in Spain 2). Thus, when people’s sense of moral is missing, their resistance to be racist weakens. As a result, racism strengthens. The last cause is inaccurate perception toward other people. Some people regard other races as inferior to them and they carry out racism just because of it. For instance, some radicals in the Russian club, Zenit St Petersburg stated that they did not want black players to belong to their team, and also one of the employees of the club told that they did not have any problems if they did not have black players, that is to say, “No black players –no problem” (BBC SPORT - Zenit St Petersburg Fined for Roberto Carlos Race Abuse). Now the question is why inaccurate perception causes racism. The answer is, “the manic defense” (Levine and Pataki 129) is functioning when they become racists. Specifically, people are likely to become racists because they share common stereotypes, prejudices or preconceptions about people who have different backgrounds (129). Thus, regardless of state of mind or the educational level, an inaccurate perception can cause racism. To sum up, when people are mentally unstable, the sense of morals is lacking and they become judgmental about other races, racism happens.
In the second place, solutions should be discussed. In order to change the current situation that the racism still exists, the regulations on eliminations of racism in soccer should be stricter. Fortunately, the tendency to be against racism is increasing in the last 5 years. This is because FIFA has been taking racism seriously, and in 2006 it implemented some regulations, such as deduction of winning points or a penalty. As Blatter, a president of FIFA says, “I can tell you the new rules for racism are immediately applicable” (BBC SPORT Football Racism Rules Effective Now - Fifa), these regulations are making progress to some extent. In fact, according to the statistics by Home Office, the number of racist chanting at stadia had been decreasing in from 78 to 20 during 2002 to 2009. However, as mentioned above, this statistical data is limited information and the issue of racism still remains strongly. Therefore, soccer associations including FIFA should apply the stricter penal regulations against racism. For instance, possible ways of regulations can be a raise in a penalty, a forfeit of qualification of the entry for cup competitions and winning points, relegation to the lower league, disapproval of candidacy as a host country for the world cup. These regulations are extremely serious for soccer clubs, because they can earn some money by taking part in cup competitions or by ranking higher at league competitions, and those money can be a big source for the management of the clubs. Moreover, the clubs can be damaged by limiting to the number of spectators or by getting rid of the privilege to invite opponents to home stadia and replacing them with the third stadium instead, because of the decrease in sales of tickets. As a result, racism would be weakened since the players and the supporters do not want a loss on their club. These regulations seem to be too severe, but actually the players who are racially violated are surrounded by severer circumstances.
As shown above, the stricter regulations can weaken racism forcibly. However, they cannot eliminate racism fundamentally because racism happens privately unless the racism remains in people’s minds. Thus, every soccer associations should require children to take the education against racism continuously. In fact, some measures have been taken against racism, for instance, soccer players pledge not to be racists before some games. Nevertheless, they do not get dramatic results, as an illustration, though the players pledged not to be racists before the final game in the World Cup 2006 in Germany, one of the Italian players made a discriminatory remark towards the French player. However, even if children take a lecture about racism with textbooks in a classroom, it is difficult for them to understand what on earth racism is. Thus, the concept of “the Green Circle Elementary School Antibias Education Program” by the National Conference of Community and Justice of Northern Delaware should be introduced into soccer. This concept is to foster the respects to the others and the recognition of humanity that every single person shares by the managers and the teachers helping different groups of children to join together (Esqueda 125). Thus, no matter the size of the soccer organizations, they should welcome children from different backgrounds and help them playing soccer under the same condition. As a result, children can realize that the difference of races does not mean anything as they play soccer. Besides, not only children playing soccer but also those who will be spectators can find it nonsense to discriminate racially by applying this concept to the education of kindergartens or elementary schools. Therefore, if children all over the world come to get rid of the incongruity of other races and respect each other since they are little, they will not be racists when they become adults and the racism will be weaken naturally.
Conclusion
In conclusion, racism in soccer happens because of people’s mental instability, a lack of the sense of morals, and inaccurate perception towards other races. Fortunately, the movement against it has been pervaded more and more these days, but many people are still suffering from it. Primarily, soccer should be a tool of making an opportunity for various kinds of races to stand the same stage under the same condition. Therefore, all soccer associations should implement the stricter regulations on abolitions of racism, and educate children not to be racists.
(1628 words)
Works Cited
"BBC SPORT Football World Cup 2006 I'm Sorry but No Regrets - Zidane." BBC News - Home. 12 July 2006. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5169342.stm>.
"BBC SPORT - Zenit St Petersburg Fined for Roberto Carlos Race Abuse." BBC News - Home. 7 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/12998953.stm>.
"BBC SPORT Football Racism Rules Effective Now - Fifa." BBC News - Home. 17 Mar. 2006. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/4818680.stm>.
"Dani Alves: Racism in Spanish Football Will Never Go Away | Mail Online." Home | Mail Online. 9 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1354944/Dani-Alves-Racism-Spanish-football-away.html>.
Esqueda ,Cynthia W. Motivational Aspects of Prejudice and Racism. Lincoln: Springer, 2008. Print.
Home Office. "Football Disorder." The National Archives. 08 Apr. 2010. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.<http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/football-disorder/>.
Michael, P. Levine and Tamas, Pataki. Racism in Mind. New York: Cornell Paperbacks, 2004. Print.
“Responding to Racism in Spain.” The European Commission. Directorate-
General Employment Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.
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