Anna Kessel
Sunday February 5, 2006
The Observer
One of
UEFA's most senior officials has dismissed British football's success in tackling racism and claimed that racist abuse has declined only because working-class fans have been priced out of attending matches. William Gaillard,
Uefa's director of communications, also told Observer Sport that there is as much racism in English football as in the Spanish game, where black players such as Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o are regularly targeted, several Primera Liga clubs have been punished for their fans' behaviour and national team manager Luis Aragones has been fined for calling Thierry Henry a 'black shit'. Gaillard also insisted that the racist taunting of England players, primarily Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole, during the team's friendly against Spain in Madrid in November 2004 was down to Anglo-Spanish rivalry dating back to the Spanish Armada, rather than outright prejudice. The
Uefa official's extraordinary comments drew condemnation from anti-racist campaigners in Britain, who expressed shock at his 'misguided' and 'misjudged' dismissal of 20 years of action, which has won praise worldwide - including from
Uefa and Fifa.
Gaillard said: 'In the UK I sometimes get the feeling the issue has been swept under the carpet by raising prices. If you fill the stadiums with middle-class people you have far less problems.'
Comparing football in Spain and England, he added: 'I have been many times in Spain. I would not say that Spain is more racist than England.'
The racist insults that black England players endured at the Bernabeu happened because 'there is a history of hostility between these countries, going back to the Armada, so there are a lot of emotions that have little to do with race. I would not take that incident and say it's more difficult to be black in Spain than it is in England. That would be going too far.'
Gaillard's remarks are surprising because of
Uefa's high profile anti-racist stance and because of his work with organisations such as Kick It Out, British football's pioneering anti-racist group. They came when Observer Sport asked him to clarify
Uefa's view of controversial comments made by the head of the Spanish Football Federation at the end of
Uefa's conference on racism last week. Angel Maria Villar Llona, a vice-president of
Uefa and Fifa, stunned delegates by declaring that too much attention was being given to racism. 'Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill,' he said.
Then, in a reference to Aragones's insult to Henry, Llona suggested that racist remarks made by players or managers during games should be kept secret. 'Things that take place on the pitch should be left there,' he said. Anti-racism campaigners were shocked by his intervention. Gaillard, who helped Llona prepare his speech, was reluctant to condemn his
Uefa colleague's remarks, though he did confirm that
Uefa were frustrated at players who complained of racism to the media and then failed to follow up the complaint through the formal procedure. 'It's something we've complained about at
Uefa because we want a written statement to take to court and players very often refuse.'
Garth Crooks, the former Tottenham striker who is now a
BBC football reporter, said that Gaillard's 'misguided' remarks ignored the reality that many seats at many Premiership clubs, such as Manchester United, are still affordable. 'There is [also] no doubt that in England the fight against racism in football is significantly better than anywhere in Europe,' said Crooks.
Measures to banish the racist abuse that used to disfigure British football - such as CCTV cameras, anti-racist advertising in grounds, messages in match programmes and stewards - showed 'there can be no doubt that we've put a tremendous amount of money, effort and resources into educating the public on anti-racism. William's facts are somewhat off line here.'
Kick It Out director Piara Powar said that Gaillard was wrong to claim that England was no better than Spain at combating racism and said he was defending Llona because he is a senior figure in football politics.
'We do have very high ticket prices. That puts forward this idea that the middle classes aren't racist, but that's just a stereotype that football administrators in particular tap into,' said Powar. 'So I wouldn't accept that. You're as likely to hear racism in hospitality boxes as you are on the terraces.'
Racism Alive and Kicking in England? Well worth a read....
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