Racism is so prevalent and unrelenting in international soccer that Englands black soccer star Danny Rose has revealed he told his heartbroken family not to come to the World Cup over fears they would be racially abused in Russia.
The Tottenham defender says he feels numb to racism and helpless to prevent it and has slammed FIFAs latest punishment as disgusting and laughable.
Dan Kilpatrick on Twitter
In another explosive interview, Danny Rose says he’s told his distraught family to stay away from World Cup over racism fears, he is ‘numb’ to racism & feels powerless, & labelled FIFA fines ‘disgusting’ & ‘laughable’. https://t.co/d30dFIA1RT
According to standard.co.uk, Russian football has been marred by incidents of racism for years, most recently when Fifa fined their football union 22,000 for racist chanting aimed at French players when the countries played in March. Frances 3-1 friendly win was played at the Krestovsky Stadium in St Petersburg, one of the venues for this summers finals.”
Its sure to be a powder keg of bigotry and drunken, vile racist chants. Who can blame Rose for not wanting to subject his family to such horrors? Hed rather venture into the lions den and deal with the demons of the game alone as he has so many times in the past.
Im just numb to it now, Rose said. If Im racially abused out there, Im abused. Nothing is going to change. I just get on with it. It shouldnt be like that but it is.
Rose was subjected to monkey chants and hit with stones while on England U21 duty in Serbia in October 2012. Some of these primitive countries still do stuff like that. Go figure.
Blavity on Twitter
Professional soccer’s racist culture has to change ! English soccer player, Danny Rose, refuses to allow his family to attend his first world cup over fears of racism https://t.co/qNGMUJ59AE
Im not worried for myself, Rose told Standard Sport ahead of his first World Cup. But Ive told my family I dont want them going out there because of racism and anything else that may happen. I dont want to be worrying when Im trying to prepare for games for my familys safety. If anything happens to me, it wouldnt affect me like it would if my family had been abused. Im fine with whatever may or may not happen, and I like to think Ill be able to deal with it in the right way.
Its deplorable that FIFA countries are allowed to freely spew such bigoted and hateful chants at players of color. Its like soccer is trapped in the early 1900s and the way the governing body is dealing with it is by giving out meaningless fines and keeping it moving.
A country being fined 22,000 is just laughable, Rose said.
Kick It Out Says Racism At The World Cup In Russia Must Be Tackled
Troy Townsend of football anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out discusses his concerns about the possibility of racist incidents at the forthcoming World Cup in Russia Please subscribe, like the video and share wherever you can! I own the rights to this footage, DO NOT copy and re-upload this video otherwise copyright strikes and legal action will be taken.
The emotional damage that a situation like this inflicts on a family and player is lasting. Roses family wants to be able to see him play in the most prestigious futbol tournament of his life. Hes endured the abuse and the prejudice and risen to the top of the soccer totem pole as a World Cup athlete. Attending the World Cup and watching Rose play should be a reward for his family, instead, its a no-fly zone.
My dads really upset. I could hear it in his voice,” Rose said. “He said he may never get a chance again to come and watch me in a World Cup. That was emotional, hearing that. Its really sad. Its just how it is. Somehow Russia got the World Cup and we have to get on with it.”
