AEK Athens player banned for life for Nazi salute.

Really?

Should he really be banned for this?

Should people being offended really ****ing matter?

People cause careers to end with horrible challenges and don't get banned for life. Player make racist comments to each other and get banned for 12 games, nothing more.

But some idiot makes a nazi salute and gets banned for life? Seriously? How ****ing pathetic.

I realise that it's an emotional subject, but are we really gonna get so offended when people simply mention the past?

If he was saying things like "kill jews in the name of our Aryan Lord Hitler! Heil Hitler" and things like that, then I'd understand.

But simply for making an arm gesture he's banned for life? XD

Pathetic.

 

I do agree. Particularly when you see players stand for the anthems and put their hands over their hearts.

My mate, ex services, asked why we don't do that in the UK and he pointed out that Britain isn't a fascist state and since putting one's hand over the heart is the first stage of the fascist salute it wasn't appropriate to do so.

 

If this is the same one as last week then he has only been banned from representing Greece, not from playing football. If it was clearly a nazi salute then I agree with the ban. Its not just about the atrocities of the hitler regime. The rise in neo nazism across Europe is a massive problem in current times too. Its a fine line between freedom of speech and stamping out disreputable behaviour, but when Europe is fighting a battle against rascism in football grounds then this was a very very stupid thing to do.

 

Is making a Nazi symbol racism though? He wasn't wearing a shirt saying "Kill all jews" or anything. He was simply making a salute.

 

It is representative of a racist movement, and that is why it would cause offence

 

You could say the same for the BNP, as they think all black people should be kicked out of the country, should they be banned from their speech also?

You shouldn't be allowed to single out a group of people and say awful things, but you shouldn't be banned for making a hand gesture. He was simply making a Nazi gesture, he wasn't saying anything about a specific group of people.

 

He isn't being banned from making a speech though, he's been banned from representing his country at football - I personally think if our FA had anything about them John Terry would've been banned (as should Rio Ferdinand)

 

Well, I don't think you can compared John Terry's racist remarks made towards another player, to a player making a random Nazi symbol. But we can all agree to disagree on the banning from representing their countries.

 

This.

 

Given the history of the salute, plus the publicity surrounding the Di Canio incident when he did the same, the player knew exactly what he was doing.

 

not as bad as this geezer

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You're right - anyone who reads the sun should be banned from representing their country!

 

Of course you can compare the two.

Along with the swastika, the salute is one of the most recognisable symbols of the Nazi/neo Nazi movement in Europe. Added to the fact that it was done around the 70th anniversary of Greek Jews being deported to concentration camps, the player is causing great offence to people (especially Greeks). Why should he be allowed the honour of representing those same people?

If an English player had done the same I'd want the same punishment.

 

Be afraid Basil Fawlty, be very afraid.

 

Don't mention the war!

 

Sorry but the act of racially abusing someone with a racist term like "Black ****" isn't the same as someone simply making a simple salute in a crowded area.

I understand why the salute is offensive, but it's not the same as racially abusing other people.

People should be allowed to make whatever salute they want, however, I support the right of Athens for banning him. I wouldn't do it to one of my players, as I assume he was just being an offensive twat and I'd give him a slap, but If employers don't want Nazi employees then that's fine.

 

Be interesting to see you giving Tiote a slap.

 

Again, he has been banned by the national team, not by Athens.

And frankly who are you to decide what is more or less offensive to minorites? He has offended a large proportion of the Greek population, by making an obviously racist gesture, around the anniversary of the deportation of Greek jews. So the FA is well within its rights to ban the player from representing said people.

 

You are not getting what I'm saying though.

I'll try and put it another way -

1 ) I go up to Shola and say something like "get back to the jungle you big ape".

2) I say - "I hate black people".

This is similar to the difference of John Terry's racial abuse, and making a Nazi salute.

The act of racially abusing a particular person infringes on that persons rights, and it's an act of harassment. It should be punished, like Terry was. However, me saying I don't like Black people, as ridiculous as it may be, should be allowed, as you cannot force someone to like Black people.

And about the last part - I'm not trying to say which terms are more offensive as others, I'm saying we cannot just ban something because it's offensive. Anything can be deemed offensive. We shouldn't be allowed to start a bill to ban things simply because we find the offensive.

If he had gone up to the members of the crowd and said "****ing die you greek twats", then yeah, that's grounds for criminal charges as it's racial abuse. But simply making a salute cannot be classed as racism. Offensive, yes, but that's tough IMO.

The KKK dresses are definitely offensive things, but they shouldn't be banned from use. It's not racism simply for making a salute or wearing a garment.