BARCELONA: Former Spanish World Cup coach Javier Clemente was at the centre of a race storm on Sunday after blasting Barcelona’s black striker Samuel Eto’o for spitting.

“I think those that spit have descended from the trees,” said Clemente, the coach of Athletic Bilbao whose side were beaten 2-1 by the Spanish league leaders in a stormy affair. Many members of the Spanish media immediately took Clemente’s remarks to be a racist slur against the African Player of the Year.

Eto'o, from Cameroon, has been the target of much racist abuse. To his credit, like Henry, he has not remained silent, even though, in this climate of denial, black players are risking their own prospects by speaking out. After he scored in a match against Real Zaragoza, the crowd started to monkey chant; Eto'o responded by imitating a monkey. 'People paid for their tickets to see a monkey and so I did it. Each time this happens then I will do it.' A relatively recent arrival in Spain, Eto'o added: 'I thought the racist chanting was just a fad, but it seems to be becoming more widespread and more vitriolic.' Asked if a black referee could ever take charge of a Primera Liga game, he said: 'If one arrived here, then they would kill him.'



Damn, i miss seeing this kind of stuff in Europe where everyone is not trying to be so politically correct

1/18/2006 1:21:51 PM

Quote :

"After he scored in a match against Real Zaragoza, the crowd started to monkey chant; Eto'o responded by imitating a monkey."

wow

1/18/2006 1:23:41 PM

yea, that is pretty common there.

1/18/2006 1:25:24 PM

^^^ there is a difference between politically correct and flat out racist.

[Edited on January 18, 2006 at 1:26 PM. Reason : ^^^^^^^^^^^^]

1/18/2006 1:25:50 PM

Europeans are dirty and smell bad

1/18/2006 1:34:22 PM

and have crooked teeth

1/18/2006 1:35:05 PM

Quote :

"yea, that is pretty common there. "

you're smiling at that?

what a faggot cock wrangler

1/18/2006 1:47:19 PM

Quote :

"I think those that spit have descended from the trees,"

maybe he meant birds?

1/18/2006 2:13:19 PM

i love them as much as golvoko loves tww

1/18/2006 2:13:58 PM

1/18/2006 3:17:32 PM

there was a whole thing on Real Sports about this (racism in soccer)

fucking sad

i knew they were dubbed "soccer hooligans" but jesus

1/18/2006 3:19:35 PM

at no point i approved that racist behavior. its just funny that a world class coach like him made a comment like that in a press conference. i was only pointing to differences between racism approach in the US and europe.

1/18/2006 4:06:02 PM

i wouldnt use the word 'class' in the same sentence as that coach

1/18/2006 4:15:55 PM

I have to agree its quite classless. He tried to apologize several times after that. Actually his clarification of the incident is priceless:

But the former Spain coach was anxious to clarify his remarks in his interview with Cadena Ser.
"When I talked about people who had just come down from the trees I mean everyone whether they be white, black or yellow ... Sometimes I should be up in the tree too when I give a bad example."

1/18/2006 4:26:41 PM

I way that thing on real sports with bryant gumble. its crazy how some groups of people in europe are living in the past and not accepting black players which at the best players in each league.

1/18/2006 4:29:56 PM

France, Spain, and Italy are so full of racists it's beyond ridiculous.

1/18/2006 6:12:50 PM