I cant believe some people have this down as an attention seeking ploy! Good on him. He's completely in the right and in my opinion any player regardless of race should walk off if racist abuse is hurled. The higher profile the match the better. Some things are more important than football and sorting out racism is one of them. Awarding them the tournament was meant to be a way of getting them to sort it out. Obviously they havent so if it continues embarrass them to a point where their forced to sort it out as they realise how disgusting their behaviour is.
russia and her backward eastern block countries are coming out of the (stalinist/soviet) wilderness and will take a lot more time to recover than we did after the war(ours ended 45 theres 89/90). Racist abuse should never be tolerated at any level of sport but shutting them out is not the answer give them a taste of whats out there and they will (authorities and people) find the ferver that is needed to bring enlightenment and diversity to there own cultures without us looking down our noses at them when tornaments are handed out.
I'm not sure whether that matters. Fact is they will be playing in Poland/Ukraine and their stadiums. I don't think their fans will suddenly behave themselves because their watching international football when it comes to racism, if thats what your getting at. Good on Balotelli for doing this. We could really see a change in the game if more professionals step up to the plate like this.
Yes but look at the stewarding, actions of 'fans', lack of action by police and what the Ukraine and Polish FA did about it. That's what I mean. They doon't deserve the tournament
Swords, Rodney and 79 are coming at this from a strange angle. Ballotelli is in the right here. I admire him for being so vocal about an issue most players have a tendency to tread lightly on. If he were to walk off the pitch following racist abuse in a tournament as big as the European Championships will expose and embarrass the Ukrainians and or the Poles. I donât think Ballotelli is or should be in the least bit concerned about increasing the individual chance of receiving abuse. He is quite rightly more concerened with the bigger issues involved. Takes dramatic actions to make a stand and it will force Ukraine/Poland/Uefa to take action that they have been shirking. To be honest most likely venue for this to happen is in a Polish or Ukranian game. English or French players doing what Ballotellis talking about is more likely and Iâd say good on them.
Lets be thankful it isn't in Russia, now they ARE mad! WARNING: Violence in videos below! [video=youtube;r9vP3AiyM2s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9vP3AiyM2s[/video] [video=youtube;r3MWhkWwjwg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3MWhkWwjwg[/video]
Spot on. Very bizarre opinions being floated around on this thread. Not as bad as WATRB though. Some proper loonies on that board!
They're being hauled off for North Vietnamese style re-education as we speak; watrb forum suspended until process is complete; will re-open in decontaminated and sanitized mode at 7pm.
Pete, you didn't get the World Cup. Get over it. Poland have every right to host this tournament. The jury's still out on the Ukraine. Stop acting so bloody superior.
Agree, Swords. The spotlight will be on them, and there'll be a big clampdown by the Polish/Ukrainian Old Bill. Just hope they're not more violent than the fans...
For those of us who haven't been on the WATRB forum, what has been said (if repeatable)? I'm looking forward to the football at Euro 2012 (thankfully no Drogba) and anything else just isn't football.
lets see what happens before we judge,mario wants the camera's on him alone,remember the old bill outthere won't take any bo**ocks from the locals when the WORLD is watching
I don't give a **** about the world cup. It certainly was never 'mine' to get. It's irrelevant. I never mentioned it. And if you mistake my forthright and deeply held opinions as 'superior' then that's your issue, not mine. Peace.
