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Subscribe to RSSThe British government has called for Serbia's national soccer team to face sanctions for racial abuse against its players. NBC's Karl Bostic reports.
Britain's government has written to European soccer authorities demanding "tough sanctions" against Serbia after racist chants - including monkey noises - were heard at an international match with England on Tuesday night.
Abuse was hurled at black members of the England Under-21 team in Krusevac, Serbia, according to England officials. The match ended in a series of angry tussles between players on on both sides.
Monkey chants, which the England team captain said came from Serb supporters, were audible on above ambient crowd noise.
British sports Minister Hugh Robertson said Wednesday the scenes at the end of the game were "disgraceful."
"I have written to [Union of European Football Associations] President Michel Platini ... urging them to investigate immediately," he said.
Trouble quickly escalated when Serbia's players and officials started attacking their England counterparts, in scenes broadcast on a British sports channel.
A video clip, unverified by NBC News, appears to show monkey noises audible from the crowd at Tuesday night's U21 soccer match between England and Serbia
The monkey chants could clearly be heard in clips uploaded to YouTube as black England defender Danny Rose was penalized for kicking the ball into the crowd in frustration. It was not clear where the noise had come from.
Read more on this story at ITV News
Rose, who had been standing apart from the main group of players after trouble broke out, mimicked a monkey by sticking his arms underneath his armpits to demonstrate the racial nature of the abuse he could hear.
A spokesman for Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, said he was "appalled" at the scenes, while Rose's father told ITV News he wanted Serbia banned from European soccer.
In a statement, England Under-21 captain, Jordan Henderson, said: "There was a lot of racist abuse out there from the stands. There was also stones, coins and seats getting thrown at us.”
The Football Association of Serbia also issued a statement, placing the blame on Rose, who, they said, behaved "in inappropriate, unsportsmanlike and vulgar manner towards the supporters on the stands at the stadium in Krusevac."
Serbian player Milos Ninkovic, left, and England's Danny Rose, right, and Craig Dawson, center, clash during the match.
The statement went on to say: “FA of Serbia absolutely refuses and denies that there were any occurrences of racism before and during the match at the stadium in Krusevac.”
Serbia’s soccer fans are notorious for causing trouble at home and abroad. The European governing body, UEFA, awarded Italy a 3-0 win over Serbia after a qualifier in Genoa, Italy, in 2010 was stopped when Serbia supporters threw flares and fireworks onto the field, burned a flag and broke barriers.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. ITV News is the UK partner of NBC News.
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Leave a Comment:
Why on Earth would anybody do that in this day and age? I mean.....Really? Shameful and disgraceful is right!
Brooke,
Those who make monkey noises are only showing what they themselves are: a bunch of monkeys. After all, who makes monkey noises better than monkeys?
This is not a sporting event...it is a "spectacle for all to see".
This is HUMANITY ON DISPLAY - PERIOD - END OF STORY
Moral of the story?... Be a better Human.
Spread the WORD.....
According to the anthropologists, we are all descended from apes. What's the problem?
According to the anthropologists, we are all descended from apes. What's the problem?
denver bill 2,
"According to the anthropologists, we are all descended from apes. What's the problem?"
The problem is that we are not still apes, although many people behave as if they are.
It is the politically correct mantra that people should like one another. That said; why is it surprising that much of human nature has never subscribed to this notion, and probably never will?
Racism exists but it apparently is only condemned when white people exhibit such proclivities. Not justifying it, just pointing it out as a fact of life in the world we live in.
Perhaps the best remedy would be to ignore such behavior since criticisms seem to have little effect.
A final thought is that perhaps political correctness is rushing to the judgment of many for the actions of a few, possibly inebriated attendees.
Because it's our nature to persecute outsiders. We have certain instinctual ways of identifying outsiders... one of them is: does the person in question look like me or not? Many like to think we're all evolved enough to overcome these instincts...but it's BS. We're still just as bad as we have ever been. You have to overcome these instincts by teaching tolerance. It works in some regions better than others.
England has done a good job in the last 20 years of reducing, almost stamping out this kind of behavior at home. Unfortunately, many parts of europe, especially eastern europe, are still in the dark ages. Look at the way black people are treated in russia, for instance. I am a white european soccer fan, but I would be ashamed to be associated with those retards like the serbian fans. Disgraceful.
Z,
"Because it's our nature to persecute outsiders. We have certain instinctual ways of identifying outsiders... one of them is: does the person in question look like me or not?"
I agree. I think there are actually two kinds of racism: normal racism and pathological racism. The first kind is simply a preference for the company of one's own kind, as you put it, for those who resemble you. I think it was the Greek philosopher, Plato, who pointed out that everyone prefers the company of his own kind. That kind does not necessarily involve any hatred of those of other kinds; just a preference for one's own kind because we feel more comfortable around our own kind. The pathological variety, on the other hand, is not simply a preference for one's own kind, but a positive hatred of other kinds and is usually passed down from parents to their children.
Yes it is shameful. This day and age? When has it ever stopped? Humans of this World are full of hatred and bigotry at it's finest. You see this everywhere you go and you have to stop and think...That is why the World is in the state it's in because of these very things. It starts in the home and if your parents were bigots and racist then you most probably will be too. This is totally World wide and not just in soccer. You see it every day. You will see it tomorrow and the future. Until Man can find a way to get along this World will Never be a better place to live in. It will continue in soccer until they ban a nation or players/fans. I would never take the field with such rabble. Have your teams NOT schedule games with these type of folks.
Racism has never left certain parts of Europe - stereotyping, prejudice, is rampant in Serbia, Hungary etc - the game should have been halted -
"What's all this about rhesus monkey taints?" Emily Litella
It's Serbia.... The last country to try to commit genocide. Are any of us really surprised?!
All countries should refuse to play Serbia unless and until the Serbian fans learn to behave like human beings.
Denver Bill 2 you really do show your ignorance. Anthropologist do not say that we descend from monkeys. Biologist say that we and monkeys and apes descend from a common ancestor. Monkeys broke off the lineage that includes humans and apes millions of years ago. Try getting a basic education before commenting in the future.
From one stupid comment, I can deduce that you are a racist, ignorant, young earth, bible thumper who doesn't believe in Biology, Astronomy, or Geology, and who thinks the earth was created in 6 days 6000 years ago, and that humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time, and The Flinstones was a documentary.
Amazing how much information you can pack into one stupid statement, isn't it?
Wet Wlly: I don't think those goons in Serbia were possibly inebriated... they were DEFINITELY smashed on Slivovitz, and no almonds or olives to cut the alcohol rush either. It IS the Balkans.....
And football is a serious obsession there.... it is most everywhere... that is why it is called the world game - sad that the hooting drunks forgot is is also called the BEAUTIFUL game and runied it last night.
Hmmm, I thought the story was about "Racist Monkeys" making noise at a soccer game. Monkeys hate soccer.
Ok, something doesn't add up here - that's the exact same noise that Arsenio Hall fans made when cheering him on. It's the same noise I've heard at other events, mainly alpha-male jackoffs trying to cheer their idols in a more "manly and tough" way. This is a sports event, how do we know the intention wasn't positive?
As there have been previous incidents of violence from the Serb team/fans, why are they even allowed to continue playing? Ban them, and maybe they will learn the lesson of consequences for inappropriate behaviour.
I love how the Europeans are always telling Americans how racist they are.
The Serbs were the SECOND to last country to attempt to commit genocide difernet.
It's called humor (admittedly weak in this case). Get to know it. Make it your friend. In the meantime, I will stack my educational achievements next to yours any day.
I am in total agreement with you.
If I were you, I would call the Great Detective Correspondence School and demand my money back. Regarding you Holmes-like deductions: (1) I am not a racist. I hate everyone equally. (2) Ignorant? Have you been talking to my wife? Regardless, I'll stack my educational achievements next to yours any day. (3) "Young earth bible thumper?" I believe in God, but regard most religions with a very healthy dose of scepticism. And, in case your knowledge of metaphysics is as flawed as your knowledge of me, there is no necessary conflict between the notions of evolution and creationism. Neither does science necessarily conflict with religion or a belief in God.
In every sports crowd there are loudmouths and hooligans. Unfortunately it seems soccer matches attract more than their share of loud, obnoxious fans. Thin skinned officials also seem to inflict more pain than is actually necessary. It's a competitive sport, folks, so if you can't stand the catcalls and verbal insults by fans, choose another sport. Also, maybe soccer stands should have seats that cannot be thrown onto the pitch. Disgraceful antics on the part of the 'fans' just shows the sport is going farther downhill fast.
I'm pretty sure that if you made monkey noises at a 350lb football player in the NFL you wouldn't live to see the parking lot after the game.
How do you equate competitiveness with blatant racism?
always nice to have apologists excusing racism. moron.
Racists are so brave aren't they?
Gee, I wonder why American racists don't make monkey sounds at RGIII or Lebron James? Because they're afraid of who might be sitting behind them.
Maybe you should stick to Hockey, or tennis, or Lacross, or some other all white sport that nobody cares about.
With soccer you get soccer fans. Good luck Brazil.
When referring it outside of the US, please call it football. And a lot of football grounds in Brazil do have moats and barriers around the pitch.
Aren't we in the U.S.? It's a U.S. based website for a U.S. news network.
It's soccer, and it's a boring, minor, sport that nobody cares about.
Hey, you are right TR and when I am in Europe I call soccer football so as to not confuse the issue. If I called soccer football in the USA most reasonable people would not know what I meant. That is unless I said "Football hooligans" then they would know I meant soccer. Okay?
I feel like I read this story before
They were probably mad because the black guys could run circles around them.
So does that mean whites are entitled to affirmative action in sports?
I think so. Lots of black people could be a CEO or a lawyer or engineer, but white people can't be NFL running backs on their own merit.
The English DID run circles around them - Hence the nil to one ROAD win. And Gaffers over there are more concerned about winning matches more than the racial makeup of their sides - their Jobs depend on winning.
Okay Sam. Racist too?
I'm white. Seen any good white running backs in the NFL lately?
How about cornerbacks?
On other hand, we do well at the "big and slow" positions.
If American blacks played soccer, there wouldn't be any white people in that sport either.
Wow. You sure are absolute in your white hating. Were you picked on? Didn't fit in?
LOL. racists who think they're being discriminated against because they can't run fast.
How do Jews talk?
Dean, please what does being liberal have to do with bad behavior? Only conservatives act decently? Your memory is pretty short when it comes to Serbia, it would appear that the desire for further ethnic cleansing now reaches into the Soccer arena.
I thought monkeys were a species not a race.
....and your point is?
The Serbians have a statue honoring Gavrilo Principe....the miserable little creep who shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife as they rode through Sarajevo, thus setting off World War I. So this lack of sensitivity should not surprise us.
Some great info Cassandra. I knew the war started because of this but did not know the full details on how it came about. So someone that murdered these people has a statue honoring them by these people. Wow. Then millions died in WW1, even worse. Saw the picture of this guy and he is creepy. Does not look good on Serbia's part and then to just deny racist and monkey sounds it is absolutely a joke. Sometimes a fine will not do the trick. Take away their toys "soccer" and maybe that will work.
if you dig a little deeper still, you must realize this is the Balkans, where Europe and Asia meet. A lot of history there and a lot of raw feelings on both sides. The Serbs still smart over their defeat at Kosovo in 1389 when they got absorbed into the Ottoman empire. Hence their bad treatment of Kosovars. Not to mention the ethnic cleansing, the purges, the genocides, and the religious hatred there.
Bismarck was right - the Balkans are not worth the loss of a single "Pomeranian Grenadier" (which amounted to a Private) This match proves it.
Hendricks, 'right on'....and you gave me flashbacks to Dr. Tollen's History of the Balkans course in college 15 years ago--which I barely passed because that region was such a ball of damn confusion that it was somewhat of a challenge to learn everything they were always fighting about and then discuss the politics in essay format intelligently. LOL!
If you're going to bad mouth the Serbs for what happened in the 90's then at least preface it with the fact that the Croats sent 700,000 of them to die at Auschwitz.
S'not like the history of that region is exactly a one-sided affair...but hey, why bother learning about anything that happened before I was born anyways, right?
Remember Minister for Foreign Affairs Anna Lindh, assaulted and stabbed to death while shopping in her favorite Stockholm department store.
A fair fight--Serb version.
simple. Serbia has history with race issues. Other Nations must refuse to play them.
Ditto. We try so hard to teach our children fair play and decent values. we certainly should not condone the opposite in the name of a "good show." Throw them out of european and American games.
When people act like Animals they should be treated as such !
Good one Plug. just let them play with themselves. Do not play them, ever!
Actually, it's not just Serbia. Italy, France and Germany also have a history of making racial remarks to African-American players as well. Italy was even fined $200,000 for it due to their behavior during the last world cup. It's not just a Serbia issue. It's an issue with Europe as a whole. If every team refused to play a team with a history of making racial remarks, the sport of soccer would be over.
mindyabusiness,
What you say is probably true. Though if this behavior is condoned then not only you but everyone is just as guilty and it will continue on forever. Hatred, bigotry, tyranny toward others must be stamped out if you want this to be a better World to live in. It's just a sports game. Who cares what color a person is that is playing in it. There are a lot of despicable people who just can not help themselves because of such hate. They are the sick ones. What drives a person to such acts? Do they go to bed at night thinking....Wow! I am one demented Human being. Because that is exactly what they look like. Too bad they don't have a pill or drug for people like this because they will never ever change.
Alan - lol what? my comment was to the OP about how serbia is NOT the only racist country in europe that needs disciplining. You're preaching to the choir. Don't accuse me of something if you don't understand what i'm saying. I don't think the behavior should be condoned at all.
The word "you" was not meant for you, lol. It's meant for anyone who condones such action. Sorry i should have been more precise.
Why can't we all just get along? Why does shamefull action like this evoke the "liberal" vs "conservitive" arguement? Why can't a soccer game be about soccer? I feel ashamed that we still have a society where this could happen. I had no part in this action, but it tells me that we all need to do more to stop dehumanizing minority groups.
Wow - you mean that America's racist subset of conservatives aren't the only racist morons in the world?
Damm....
(No - I'm NOT calling all -or even most- conservatives anything. I am speaking of a subset of conservatives that are clearly racist in nature).
No, there are plenty of liberal racists here as well. Hell....I bet Al and Jesse are trying to figure out if a trip to Serbia to "stoke the fires" would be profitable.
Jessie says if you are going to ride his d*ck, follow him on Twitter..
I live in Texas where all the racists are conservative Republicans. I'm related to several of them.
I feel sorry that your relatives have such a smug self righteous ass in their midst,were you adopted in?
Serbs have always approved of incest. It seems fitting that they behave this way.
In these Eastern European countries we are dealing with peoples who are bereft of social graces and suffering from a failure to have evolved in the same manner as the rest of the old continent. One only has to walk around cities such as Rome, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris to see evidence of this, the cause of which can be traced back to the political and social oppression to which they have been subjected for all of their history and, worse, the absence of ethics even within their social structures. What we are effectively dealing with are cretins, nimrods and philistines, whose mental and psychological growth was stunted and inhibited by their disdain for discipline and respect for themselves and others.
we are dealing with peoples who are bereft of social graces and suffering from a failure to have evolved in the same manner as the rest of the old continent.
Lol... Like Americans and Australians?
Subchanar : Well put, you are absolutely correct, unfortunately.
Seems like Soccer is to sport what the Taliban is to social groups.
What a mentally unbalanced "sport". Grownups kick the ball. Score 1-1. Wow! A thrill a minute.
Yeah Steve I totally agree!
Watching American Football takes so much more skill and is so much more entertaining. I love watching fat, overweight "athletes" push each other around for 4 white nuckled hours.
Soccer (AKA Futbol, Footbol and Football everywhere else around the world but America (we're special!) is a very beautiful sport that DOES take skill and extreme athletes to play. I don't know where you're finding the unbalancing.
Maybe just stick to the American version of football (it's less confusing that way)
Steve the dog man : You do indeed have the intelligence of a dog, and know nothing about soccer, yet feel compelled to insult it. Wow...
Soccer is very different as played by the world class teams, than what you will see played in the US. It's like the difference between high school basketball and pro basketball. Without the advanced skills of really good soccer teams, it is pretty boring to watch unless your own kid is playing.
People who behave this way need to be ejected from the stadium. Players who behave that way need to given a red card.
They behaved as animals during the war and they behave as animals now. Watch "In the Land of Blood and Honey" and you get an idea of the sort of people you're dealing with. No morals, no conscience.
Most rabid die hard sports fans are idiots who have no life and nothing better to do than live vicariously through the testosterone fueled violence of sport. It is a blight on our society.
doctor jim59,
"Most rabid die hard sports fans are idiots who have no life and nothing better to do than live vicariously through the testosterone fueled violence of sport. It is a blight on our society."
Since I have never been a sports fan myself, I tend to agree with you, but at the same time I believe, "To each his own". Whatever turns you on, except acting like monkeys.
Serbia didnt do nothing wrong... its a soccer match, it happens everywhere threw out europe, why? cause the guy is black, he started it first if you watch the game
Classic third grade excuse, "He started it!" But I'm guessing you never made it much further in school.
Doesn't change the fact that Serbians are barbaric.
Apparently the Serbs have decided to be the black sheep of Europe. This is disgraceful as much as unsportsmanlike conduct. For FA Serbia to deny racism is akin to the Taliban justifying the attempted murder of 14-year old girls.
Hey bruce6532 have you been to serbia, ive been threw out europe... that movie ur talking about is a movie, and alot of it is not true. there is one thing that serbia is against is the muslims! that cause problems threw out the world, thats why that bevnik guy did what he did in his country. cause of the muslims! causing! problems! in his country. the war that happen threw out the former yugoslavia was the cause of the politicians, the people didnt want it, but they the polit... did that so they can fill there pockets, like every other politician does,yugoslavia was a beutiful country and still is, but when the muslims started upriseing that was a seperate war that went all out, you see whats happening the muslims are causeing problems in the world they have to be stoped.
joe slav,
My guess is that you are Serbian. Am I right?
The last 100 years of European history is really ugly. I'm not sure I'm ready for any more moral guidance from them.
From Animal Planet:
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/monkey-info.htm
Now just how the hell are monkey sounds racist?
economykiller,
"Now just how the hell are monkey sounds racist?"
Monkey sounds are racist because it is a common assumption among hard core racists that black people are nothing more than apes and monkeys that have not evolved to the human level. So making monkey sounds in the presence of black people is meant as a racial slur. It surprises me you didn't know that. I guess you're just not a hard core racist.
He knew that. Maybe he forgot that while many like snug @!$%#s, nobody likes smug @!$%#s...
and... I'm rubber
They should instantly stop the game when that crap starts. A few cancelled games might teach them to behave like adults. And no refunds.
you're absolutely right. soccer fans would curb stomp anybody who stopped a game because they insisted on making racist remarks. Let soccer fans fight it out after a game is cancelled and it'll never happen again.
So, should they only stop the games for racial slurs and no other kind of bad or impolite behavior that happens at soccer games?
No. The article is on racism so I'm responding to that. I also think any attacks on family members, gender, race, background, sexual orientation, etc should also be banned and punishable as well. Does that make you happy unbelieveable?
Maybe they should all have to sign a waver before they go in.
I am appalled that soccer fans would choose racism as a detractor to one of the most boring sports in the world. What happened to the time honored tradition of tearing down fences and punching police? I do appreciate the theatrics associated with a blown out knee that heals itself in 20 to 30 seconds, but selecting racism to brighten up another sleeper of a game is just plain ridiculous. There is nothing more entertaining than the singing and drunken brawls typically accompanying these matches, so why do we need to add racism to the mix? I say keep racism out of the game and allow the snooze fests to continue!
But disallowing racism negatively impacts those who can't afford alcohol.
Boring!! The most popular sport all over this earth. America truly is the land of village idiots.
Whether you find soccer boring or not, the rest of Hadenuff's post seemed spot on to me.
LOL killin me. I dont find soccer boring but this is spot on.
INCREDIBLY boring. It's like ice hockey, only slower.