Reporting on Racism in Soccer
Reporting on Racism in Soccer
On the anniversary of a racial slur that brought an MLS match to a halt, a series of incidents involving youth raise questions about the racism that persists in soccer.
An Infamous Anniversary
A year ago today, a racial slur derailed an MLS match in Harrison, New Jersey.
As I wrote for Queen City Nerve, “In the 54th minute of the April 8 match between the New York Red Bulls and the San Jose Earthquakes, New York forward Dante Vanzeir, who is white, made a heinous racial remark near San Jose striker Jeremy Ebobisse, who is Black.”
Now, for the second year in a row, news broke of a highly-publicized incident of racism in MLS in April.
This year, youth squads in the NY Red Bulls organization were on the receiving end of verbal abuse at the Generation Adidas Cup featuring both MLS NEXT and international youth teams.
Because of the incident, the Red Bulls organization withdrew both of their teams in the competition.
Vanzeir insisted there was no racial component to his remarks, with the recent arrival to the United States blaming a cultural and language misunderstanding, but accepted the penalty.
This year, the international players who used the slur are youth, and it is unclear if they understand the weight of the slur, which has a long history of use as a derogatory word against Black people in both the U.S. and Europe.
After withdrawing the their teams, the Red Bulls released a statement saying, “There is no room for discrimination around competitive play. As an organization, we stand together with our players on and off the pitch.”
In response to multiple incidents, including a confrontation between two teams after a match on Saturday, MLS NEXT released a statement:
MLS NEXT is deeply concerned and upset by the recent incidents of on-field abuse of players during several games at the GA Cup this week. This behavior is entirely unacceptable, violates the rules of the competition, and our collective effort to ensure a respectful and inclusive environment for all.
Following any allegations, trained professional staff offer and provide immediate resources to all involved.
MLS NEXT has already begun an extensive review of existing protocols and training programs for all clubs competing in league play and tournament competition, up to and including the adoption of best practices from MLS first team competitions.
CF Flamengo, which was involved in one of the incidents, did not participate in a scheduled match on Sunday.
At Soccer Sheet and Y’all Weekly, we believe our concept of journalistic integrity requires us to be anti-racist because reporting is about truth, and racism is the biggest lie of all.
What Comes Next
Soccer Sheet is published from North Carolina, a state with a long, complicated, history on race. The Tar Heel State was one of the last states to join the Confederacy and the birthplace of the sit-in movement. We were a state where slavery and Jim Crow were legal. Many of the elders in our community - people still walking among us - lived through segregation, “separate but equal,” redlining, and discrimination.
How our society deals with race and prejudice is constantly evolving and unresolved. Years of progress towards racial equity and equality often seem like a mirage when policies change and policy makers operate in bad faith. Demographic shifts lead to demonization of new groups; for example, anti-immigration rhetoric often dehumanizes Latinos.
Unfortunately, racism invades every aspect of our lives, including soccer. At Soccer Sheet and Y’all Weekly, we believe racism has no place in the beautiful game or anywhere else in our lives. That doesn’t mean we always succeed, but it means we’re trying to be people who address inequity and report on injustice.
“Shouldn’t journalists be neutral?” one may ask. It’s a valid question; neutrality is something we struggle with especially when many of us have clear biases - in sport, it’s hard not to root for the home team, as we tend to do.
However, reporting is not a neutral act. Every word, every detail, every picture, every (God help us) tweet is a choice. We choose what to report on and what to ignore because we can’t do everything. We choose which questions to ask players and coaches. Often these are hard choices.
Opposing racism and prejudice is hard, but it’s not a hard choice to make. At Soccer Sheet and Y’all Weekly, we believe our concept of journalistic integrity requires us to be anti-racist because reporting is about truth, and racism is the biggest lie of all.
So, you won’t be surprised we’re working on a story on racism in soccer. It’s also why we need your help.
I know it’s asking a lot, but if you have a story to tell about racism or prejudice you’ve faced in soccer, we want to hear it to inform our reporting. If you give us permission, we may want to report it - in which case, given the sensitive nature of the topic, we are happy to grant anonymity.
While we ask for your stories, we’re also asking questions of soccer clubs in the Carolinas and across the country. What policies do they have in place to combat racism? Does the club consider itself anti-racist? What is the club doing to stand in opposition to racism (aside from commemorative kits and theme nights)?
We want to add your voice alongside their answers. You can reach us at sam@soccersheet.com, and I hope to report back soon about how the clubs we support are stopping racist behavior before it makes it to the pitch.