Brazilian Football: Is Racism a Major Issue to Be Addressed Immediately?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: September 2, 2014

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The headlines should have been about Robinho, his revenge on Luiz Felipe Scolari and Santos' chances of making the last eight of the Copa do Brasil.

Instead, they ran along far more sinister lines. Santos prevailed 2-0 over Gremio in the first leg of their cup tie last Thursday night, but the result was overshadowed by a section of Gremistas, who made the Paulista club's goalkeeper, Aranha, a target for their racist abuse.

Visibly upset both during the match and at the final whistle, Aranha gave a moving interview to reporters on the touchline at the final whistle. The insulting chants were a major talking point on sports chat shows the following day.

Now, after the goalkeeper admitted how much pain the remarks caused him, it must be hoped this issue is not swept under the rug.

But is this a one-off incident, incited by a small group of narrow-minded individuals, or does it indicate a longer, underlying problem in Brazilian football?



Certainly, if Aranha's account is to be believed, the behaviour of referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio was reprehensible.

The goalkeeper claimed the official had told him he was provoking the fans when Aranha informed him of the abuse, as reported by Exame (link in Portuguese), but Aranha said he had done nothing of the sort—the only thing provoking these fans, according to him, was the colour of his skin.

There are worrying indications this could be part of an ugly trend. According to Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, there have been 12 reported incidents of racism in 2014, including one just three days before Aranha's case in a Serie C match between Treze and Cuiaba (link in Portuguese).

Earlier this year, bananas were left on top of the vandalised car of referee Marcio Chagas, in Bento Goncalves in Rio Grande so Sul, the same state in which Serie A club Gremio is based.

Usually, a fine of a few thousand rea...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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