Italian soccer team walks out of a game after racist chants (video, article)

AC Milan vs. a lower-division team.

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Video of the incident, which took place in the small stadium of Pro Patria, a club in one of Italy’s lower leagues, showed Kevin-Prince Boateng, a Ghanaian-German midfielder for the visitors, A.C. Milan, stopping play and launching the ball in the direction of fans of the home team who were chanting like monkeys. He then pulled off his shirt and walked to the locker room, followed by his teammates.

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Extended story here, with plenty of info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXyqFZ_fghI
(direct link to YouTube)

To adapt one of my favorite movie quotes: "I wish I could tell you that the racist chanting was a rare occurrence, and this was an anomaly. I wish I could tell you that, but soccer is no fairy-tale world."

Another reminder of how some racist/neo-fascist groups rally around soccer there; can't say there's a similar problem in the US professional or top-level college leagues. The closest thing I can think of were the issues Ole Miss had in it's mix of Confederate imagery and college football, but it wasn't racist to opposing players and its own issues died off for the most part by the 1990s (to the point where there was a serious movement to change the name of the mascot to Admiral Ackbar).

Part of it is the problem of history: The US is a melting pot, forcing everyone together over a much shorter period of time (hundreds of years vs. thousands). Outside of the Native Americans (who got the raw deal), people have to deal with each other. And while you'll still see lingering nativist sentiment (nowadays towards illegal immigration, and in some corners more than a little tinged with racism), it's a different sense than in Europe where folks have lingered in the same area for a thousand years. I've still heard otherwise "enlightened", college educated Europeans tell me with a straight face that they're suspicious of Jews and have low opinions of brown people as people. Hell, Obama was the trump card: I'd love to see if a European country can elect a black president or prime minister, let alone re-elect them.

Yeah, they have both regular ol' fascism and racism in football in Italy. Pretty messed up. Not too long ago, a player did the 'Heil Hitler' thing where he held his right arm up, but he said it was the old Roman version.

We also have it right here. Our local football club has a group of fans called 'White Pride', and you can pretty much guess what they're like. American football and real football probably attracts some of the worst fans, aside from maybe Nascar in the US.

Always an embarrassment to the rest of the country when soccer fans do this.

And what the fuck, with a few exceptions the world of sports has been a meritocracy for as long as it has existed...you would think they'd be used to seeing black athletes by now. Especially in Italy of all places.

players feel entitled to "fight racism"! but then there is a lot of pressure to never speak of gays in soccer.

Too much hypocrisy to give a shit. These pricks are paid massive wages so that the audience can shit all of their souls, not for entertainment, or athleticism.

Without the racist fans, football would go out of business.

Wow. People are idiots.

How embarrassing must it be for the non-racist fans of the that same team. It's pretty fucked up that there people with that sort of mind-set still around these days.

:oh_no:

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Originally Posted by Xander Crews

Without the racist fans, football would go out of business.

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Holy shit dude. Are you just trying to get people going?

I'm assuming so, because I don't know why else you would post that.

Italy is special in this regard. For a long time now, certain radical groups of all political sides undermine Italian football fan groups. More often than not, matches become battles between political camps, the sport event itself is just a sideshow.

Boateng did the right thing but it won't help unless we manage to drive politics out of the stadiums.

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Originally Posted by Naiera

American football and real football probably attracts some of the worst fans, aside from maybe Nascar in the US.

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What I'll say about American football part--they might be assholes (particularly in certain NFL circles), they might call a player out for being weak (in less than choice terms), they might be drunk idiots, but it's exceedingly rare to hear anyone start getting racist at an NFL or top-college football game. I'm not saying such fans don't exist (especially in the privacy of their homes), but they're not organized and if they started doing crap like that in a stadium they'd probably get reported/ejected real quick.

NASCAR appeals to certain crowds, but even they're not necessarily racist--with some hilarious exceptions.

This is over 10 years old, but still is amusing. A local radio station prank called a guy to make fun of racism (this became the first of a series of calls that are all pretty good):

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Originally Posted by Tung Fu ru

Holy shit dude. Are you just trying to get people going?

I'm assuming so, because I don't know why else you would post that.

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Is this the first time you have heard of European football? Racism is rife over there, and highly visible in the stadiums. Black people get monkey chants and bananas thrown at them on the regular. But if you're gay, you're dead.

There are a lot of ignorant people that go to the games and cause trouble. The fight racism campaign is a complete joke there until they take the culprits and lock them away for a long time.

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Originally Posted by aria

Part of it is the problem of history: The US is a melting pot, forcing everyone together over a much shorter period of time (hundreds of years vs. thousands). Outside of the Native Americans (who got the raw deal), people have to deal with each other. And while you'll still see lingering nativist sentiment (nowadays towards illegal immigration, and in some corners more than a little tinged with racism), it's a different sense than in Europe where folks have lingered in the same area for a thousand years. I've still heard otherwise "enlightened", college educated Europeans tell me with a straight face that they're suspicious of Jews and have low opinions of brown people as people. Hell, Obama was the trump card: I'd love to see if a European country can elect a black president or prime minister, let alone re-elect them.

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I'm usually a big supporter of your posts, but I have to say this is a completely laughable pile of bullshit that you've just made up off the top of your head, there's nothing in this other than a few opinions you've based on a 15 second thought process. All of these negatives you've just poured over Europeans are entirely visible in Americans in just the same if not worse magnitudes.

Europe, especially Britain, often look over to America for ideas when it comes to national advancemen, but I don't think any European nation, even some shit pot two bit eastern european crap hole, has or would ever even contemplate looking over to America for guidance on racial harmony, if anything it would be the opposite.

And citing Obama as indicative of anything would be the same as saying the US was hopelessly sexist because you have never had a woman president. I.e. nonsense.

I can't help but feel you've posted this and are now sitting back pissing yourself because you knew the reaction this would deserve?! Never ever before have I heard of an American talk with pride about their nations record on racial issues?!

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Originally Posted by stevenk

Europe, especially Britain,

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Britain isn't Europe. :rolleyes: Just ask any European.

That would mostly be the British claiming they're not a part of Europe. They are, and they're part of the European Union as well.

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Originally Posted by Naiera

That would mostly be the British claiming they're not a part of Europe. They are, and they're part of the European Union as well.

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Your mom is part of the European Union.

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Originally Posted by Xander Crews

Your mom is part of the European Union.

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post of the day.

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Originally Posted by stevenk

I'm usually a big supporter of your posts, but I have to say this is a completely laughable pile of bullshit that you've just made up off the top of your head, there's nothing in this other than a few opinions you've based on a 15 second thought process. All of these negatives you've just poured over Europeans are entirely visible in Americans in just the same if not worse magnitudes.

Europe, especially Britain, often look over to America for ideas when it comes to national advancemen, but I don't think any European nation, even some shit pot two bit eastern european crap hole, has or would ever even contemplate looking over to America for guidance on racial harmony, if anything it would be the opposite.

And citing Obama as indicative of anything would be the same as saying the US was hopelessly sexist because you have never had a woman president. I.e. nonsense.

I can't help but feel you've posted this and are now sitting back pissing yourself because you knew the reaction this would deserve?! Never ever before have I heard of an American talk with pride about their nations record on racial issues?!

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LOL, seriously?

Remember the 2011 riots? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

The BNP may not be a big party, but you guys give it more credence than any US equivalent. Looking across the Channel, we have no equivalent of Le Pen, either.

There are incredibly racist videos the chavs and other assorted morons in England keep pumping out about how much they hate Indians, "Pakis" and blacks. Just look at that woman who was shouting on the bus for chrissakes.

The ass-side of European culture want to pretend to be enlightened until a Muslim enters the room and wants the same service as everyone else. You guys have it as bad, if not worse, than America. The difference is you don't want to admit it. The US did that until we got riots, too. And while things aren't perfect, they're better because we're willing to talk about it more openly. Talk to immigrants with family in the US and Europe: ask them which part of the family is doing better, which isn't the total outsider.

Look to the Continent: What's their idea of integration? Push all the minorities into their suburban blocks and make weak, half-assed efforts to integrate them. A good number are made to feel anything but citizens of those countries. They're second class, and the white Europeans for the most part complain that they're not enough like them--"if only they could act more like us".

Show me an equivalent of what happened in that video happening in the US in the last decade. Two decades? Three?

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Originally Posted by aria

LOL, seriously?

Remember the 2011 riots? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

The BNP may not be a big party, but you guys give it more credence than any US equivalent. Looking across the Channel, we have no equivalent of Le Pen, either.

There are incredibly racist videos the chavs and other assorted morons in England keep pumping out about how much they hate Indians, "Pakis" and blacks. Just look at that woman who was shouting on the bus for chrissakes.

The ass-side of European culture want to pretend to be enlightened until a Muslim enters the room and wants the same service as everyone else. You guys have it as bad, if not worse, than America. The difference is you don't want to admit it. The US did that until we got riots, too. And while things aren't perfect, they're better. Talk to immigrants with family in the US and Europe: ask them which part of the family is doing better, which isn't the total outsider.

Look to the Continent: What's their idea of integration? Push all the minorities into their blocks and make weak, half-assed efforts to integrate them. A good number are made to feel anything but citizens of those countries. They're second class, and the white Europeans for the most part complain that they're not enough like them--"if only they could act more like us".

Show me an equivalent of what happened in that video happening in the US in the last decade. Two decades? Three?

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This is probably my vote for post of the day.

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Originally Posted by aria

LOL, seriously?

Remember the 2011 riots? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

The BNP may not be a big party, but you guys give it more credence than any US equivalent. Looking across the Channel, we have no equivalent of Le Pen, either.

There are incredibly racist videos the chavs and other assorted morons in England keep pumping out about how much they hate Indians, "Pakis" and blacks. Just look at that woman who was shouting on the bus for chrissakes.

The ass-side of European culture want to pretend to be enlightened until a Muslim enters the room and wants the same service as everyone else. You guys have it as bad, if not worse, than America. The difference is you don't want to admit it. The US did that until we got riots, too. And while things aren't perfect, they're better because we're willing to talk about it more openly. Talk to immigrants with family in the US and Europe: ask them which part of the family is doing better, which isn't the total outsider.

Look to the Continent: What's their idea of integration? Push all the minorities into their suburban blocks and make weak, half-assed efforts to integrate them. A good number are made to feel anything but citizens of those countries. They're second class, and the white Europeans for the most part complain that they're not enough like them--"if only they could act more like us".

Show me an equivalent of what happened in that video happening in the US in the last decade. Two decades? Three?

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Asking for video evidence that an American has been racist on a bus in the last three decades doesn't make any sense, if you're suggesting that if I can't find one then it hasn't happened then, well, just then. Put in racist americans in youtube and spend the next 40 hours of your life watching.

The BNP is like you say a small party in this country, and I think it's healthy that the people who feel that way have a voice, one of the best things about the BNP is they act as a completely transparent barometer to how big the minority of idiots has become, and it remains very small. What is far worse is for the whole thing to be pushed underground as it is in the US, it's been the elephant in the room for as far back as the US can remember. The difference between, for instance, the large asian population that we have in Britain and across Europe is that they were all invited, mainly during the 50s, 60s and 70s. The same can't be said of the black population of America who were dragged kicking and screaming there, or the hispanic population who slid under a barbed wire fence.

It's just the norm in the US, your prisons are 40-45% filled with black people, that's not the case here. In fact in the US as a black person you're three times more likely to be in prison than you are in Britain. Not having a party to voice it, or a video of an idiot on a bus, doesn't mean it's not happening. The whole thing stinks of institutional racism, the denial doesn't lie here, nobody denies the BNP exists.

I have lived in and amongst black and asian people my whole life, my current neighbours are Sikh, my current next door but one neighbours are Turkish Muslims. The problems are nothing to do with race or religion, they are to do with poverty, just as they always are for almost everything, and due to Europe's more socialist slant poverty in the US is a whole different ball game to what you see in Europe.

You believe too easily what you read, the London riots were not a racial incident, I was there, I saw them, and anyone else you asked who saw them would confirm. The key factor that linked all of the rioters was not the colour of their skin or the country of their birth, but the size of their bank balances.

The only part I agree with is you saying that we have it as bad as you. It's probably true. But worse? I don't think so.

And where the fuck are the Europeans I might add, why am I alone in this?! Hiding behind their fucking bananas or something I presume.

They don't have Pepperidge Farms in Europe. :rolleyes: Just ask any European.

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Originally Posted by SouthtownKid

They don't have Pepperidge Farms in Europe. :rolleyes: Just ask any European.

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Yeah I'll admit I didn't get that reference and was too lazy to look it up, it's late here :(

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Originally Posted by stevenk

Yeah I'll admit I didn't get that reference and was too lazy to look it up, it's late here :(

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I was talking about Europe.

EUROPE.

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Originally Posted by SouthtownKid

EUROPE.

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Fourth time lucky?

If you are an American when you go into the bathroom and you are an American when you come out of the bathroom....What are you while you are in the bathroom?

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Originally Posted by lithy

If you are an American when you go into the bathroom and you are an American when you come out of the bathroom....What are you while you are in the bathroom?

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Ashamed of my continent? :(

^European

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Originally Posted by lithy

If you are an American when you go into the bathroom and you are an American when you come out of the bathroom....What are you while you are in the bathroom?

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Taking a piss.

Also, I thought our prisons only had 30% blacks.

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Originally Posted by lithy

If you are an American when you go into the bathroom and you are an American when you come out of the bathroom....What are you while you are in the bathroom?

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You're a peein'!

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Originally Posted by Xander Crews

Taking a piss.

Also, I thought our prisons only had 30% blacks.

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Yet according to the 2010 census, less than 13% of the country identifies in full or in part as black, african-american or some mix of one of those and the several other 'races' as defined by the US Government.

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Originally Posted by jimerc21

You're a peein'!

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heeheehee!

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Originally Posted by stevenk

Ashamed of my continent? :(

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You don't have a continent. You have an island.

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Originally Posted by SouthtownKid

You don't have a continent. You have an island.

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Tell that to Australia.

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Originally Posted by lithy

Tell that to Australia.

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He ain't no Australian. His posts are too coherent. He's one of them regular UKers.

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Originally Posted by SouthtownKid

He ain't no Australian. His posts are too coherent. He's one of them regular UKers.

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We could start a joe8 poll to see which UK member N-G.com thinks has used the term 'paki' more.

rugal2000 or LeeGrey

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Originally Posted by stevenk

Hiding behind their fucking bananas or something I presume.

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I HATE bananas.

Well, at least Canada is above this sort of thing, rite?

LOL this shit'll prolly NEVER end in European soccer especially Italy which is one of the most notorious countries for this type of shit. But yeah walking off the field is a good idea. Ending the games abruptly like that should make some changes in the future. It probably won't change the racism but it'll piss enough people off to make something happen whether it be Italian teams just have to stick with their own countrymen for players and get blown up on the field by everyone else. Personally I wouldn't be playing for these teams in the first place unless it was a German team, fuck the rest.

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Originally Posted by Xander Crews

Is this the first time you have heard of European football? Racism is rife over there, and highly visible in the stadiums. Black people get monkey chants and bananas thrown at them on the regular. But if you're gay, you're dead.

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I'm sorry but no. Being a Manchester City fan for my entire life (21 years) I have traveled up and down the country and NEVER met any racism. Now I live in the Netherlands and have been to a few Dutch and several German games. I have also NEVER seen any sort of violence or racism that is so "rife". Of course there are people who do do this, but they are in such a minority that they are practically invisible.
However, in Italy and Spain it is a completely different story: monkey chants to your own national players? Mental.
What I find more extraordinary is that Sepp says it is wrong to walk off in those circumstances. I know I'd walk off if I was greeted with such hostility.

I'm also a stadium regular and have witnessed some racist tendencies in German, Austrian and Swiss stadiums but mostly small-scale bullshit that you'd also see if you'd make a racism survey during a rock concert. Of course that doesn't make it okay, it's just not valid to blow these things out of proportion.

Oh yeah, there will always be racists at football matches. Takumaji, have you heard about Karlsbande in Aachen, they've split into essentially two groups (one apolitical and one right-wing). And this is in the last few months.

The Karlsbande is or used to be an Ultra fangroup. AFAIK, some members got thrown out, then a few others followed them and formed a new group. Dunno whether they're right-winged or not... let's just say, sometimes people throw around these right-wing/fascist/nazi insults too quickly IMO. They have a website, btw.: http://www.karlsbande.de/ . If you understand German, I recommend you to read the "Über Uns" text which contains a few comments on the group splitting.

Anyway, I've discussed the Italy issue with some friends and most of them rate Boateng's walk-off as a mistake, they see it as an affront against the majority of stadium goers who paid for their tickets and just wanted to see a good match. I still can relate to what he did though, I probably would have left the field as well.

I think the big issue with Bobak's post is he is comparing Europe which is composed of a bunch of different cultures to the US which is arguably one large culture with some variations.

We aren't talking about Europe being racist here.

We are are talking about how Italy is arguably the biggest shit hole of a European nation. I think Yugoslavia was a better place to live. Greece comes a close second. They're the ass hole that keeps putting drinks and desserts on the tab and then get pissed when they have to pitch in.


I'm also kind of surprised Bobak missed the general racist composition of American Football teams... it may be changing, but very slowly.

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Originally Posted by Markell1991

I'm sorry but no. Being a Manchester City fan for my entire life (21 years) I have traveled up and down the country and NEVER met any racism. Now I live in the Netherlands and have been to a few Dutch and several German games. I have also NEVER seen any sort of violence or racism that is so "rife". Of course there are people who do do this, but they are in such a minority that they are practically invisible.
However, in Italy and Spain it is a completely different story: monkey chants to your own national players? Mental.
What I find more extraordinary is that Sepp says it is wrong to walk off in those circumstances. I know I'd walk off if I was greeted with such hostility.

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Man City fan for 21 years? Hahaha. You must have been so happy when Citeh were bought up by that arab like a cheap whhhhhhore.

Seriously - Man City lost its soul when Shakey Mansour bought it. Only fans that team has are plastic. As for racism - are you talking about the games or in your local hamlet? Because I am talking about the games.

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Originally Posted by OrochiEddie

We are are talking about how Italy is arguably the biggest shit hole of a European nation.

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Ouch.

As a fireworks maker, Italy is my holy land, man.

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Originally Posted by OrochiEddie

I think the big issue with Bobak's post is he is comparing Europe which is composed of a bunch of different cultures to the US which is arguably one large culture with some variations.

We aren't talking about Europe being racist here.

We are are talking about how Italy is arguably the biggest shit hole of a European nation. I think Yugoslavia was a better place to live. Greece comes a close second. They're the ass hole that keeps putting drinks and desserts on the tab and then get pissed when they have to pitch in.


I'm also kind of surprised Bobak missed the general racist composition of American Football teams... it may be changing, but very slowly.

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No, I actually did mean most of Europe: I was referring directly to the treatment of non-white French, the treatment of Turks in Germany, the treatment of minorities in the Netherlands--don't even get me started on Eastern Europe--and many of the other areas that are well-documented in addition to people I know who are minorities in Europe. Most of the Euros posting to say there's no problems are white Europeans.

You simply cannot compare the overt racism in professional soccer to anything in professional or college American football--perhaps high school football in the ass-backwards part of the nation, but I challenge you to show me an equivalent.

An American can still be a strong liberal and not think Europe is some promised land of racial harmony.

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Originally Posted by aria

No, I actually did mean most of Europe: I was referring directly to the treatment of non-white French, the treatment of Turks in Germany, the treatment of minorities in the Netherlands--don't even get me started on Eastern Europe--and many of the other areas that are well-documented in addition to people I know who are minorities in Europe. Most of the Euros posting to say there's no problems are white Europeans.

You simply cannot compare the overt racism in professional soccer to anything in professional or college American football--perhaps high school football in the ass-backwards part of the nation, but I challenge you to show me an equivalent.

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There was that Russian team whose fans just made a demand that no more black players are wanted at the club.

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Originally Posted by stevenk

Ashamed of my continent? :(

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incontinents

Personally I can deal with overt racism better than crypto-fascism.

Give it time, we'll have a Turkish-born chancellour one day. I mean, we've brought a woman (so they say) into office and our foreign minister is gay, that's a start, eh. :D

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Originally Posted by OrochiEddie

We are are talking about how Italy is arguably the biggest shit hole of a European nation. I think Yugoslavia was a better place to live. Greece comes a close second. They're the ass hole that keeps putting drinks and desserts on the tab and then get pissed when they have to pitch in.

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Hahaha...I'm liking the cut of your jib here. Fuck every nation you mentioned up their hairy baboon asses.

* throws bananas at Spoonmeister

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Originally Posted by Spoon

Hahaha...I'm liking the cut of your jib here. Fuck every nation you mentioned up their hairy baboon asses.

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you're in an exceptionally good mood lately.

You're getting sex on the regular now, aren't you?