#SayNoToRacism?

Soccer is “The Global Game.” It is played by 250 million people across 200 countries, making it the world’s most popular sport. Yet, despite the fact that people of all ethnicities seem to love the sport, the game is quickly becoming famous for racism.

In February 2015, a group of Chelsea fans famously chanted racist remarks at a black man trying to enter the subway in Paris. They loudly chanted, “We’re racist and that’s the way we like it” as they forced him out of the car.

As we discussed after watching this egregious event, soccer fans have become infamous for racist and completely inappropriate chants. Well-known players such as Mario Balotelli, Dani Alves, and Samuel Eto’o have been pelted with bananas on the field and subjected to numerous other remarks.

In April 2015, Dutch fans chanted anti-Semitic slogans about the Holocaust during a match between Amsterdam’s Ajax and FC Utrecht. The Utrecht fans often refer to Amsterdam’s fans as “Jews” because of the Jewish community’s historic presence in the city.

The fans chanted “My father was in the commandos, my mother was in the SS, together they burned Jews cause Jews burn the best” and “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas” for several minutes.

Although the club has vowed to identify and take action against the guilty fans, many Jewish activists have called for more action. Ronny Naftaniel put the onus on the players themselves, asking, “When will Ajax players walk off the field?” he said. “Take action against anti-Semitism.” In addition, The Foundation Fighting Antisemitism has reportedly filed charges against the club.

It is an open secret that racism runs rampant in soccer stadiums around the world. In response, players have attempted to raise awareness about racism. Sergio Aguero, Alves, and Balotelli began using the hashtags #WeAreAllMonkeys and #SayNoToRacism on Twitter after each was hounded during a game by both opposing and own fans. Afterwards, many other players began posting pictures of themselves eating bananas as well.

Moreover, certain leagues have attempted to combat this racism. For example, FIFA used advertising hoardings in the 12 stadiums at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to deliver an anti-racism message.

However, Piara Power, the director of these efforts, has accused FIFA of not taking racism seriously enough and failing to take adequate action to limit racism in soccer stadiums. Although he acknowledged that it is difficult for FIFA to identify and punish individual fans, Power definitively stated that FIFA could take more action. In light of the prevalence of recent events, it is clear that he is right not only about FIFA, but other soccer leagues around the world.

As soccer continues to popularize, the governing bodies of its leagues need to prevent these egregious attacks on its players and fans.

Otherwise, it may not be the “Global Game” for much longer.