13.05.2013

Incidents reported to FARE during April 2013

The following list of incidents of racism, xenophobia, extreme nationalism or homophobia has been reported to FARE during the last month. This is not a comprehensive list and is only likely to reflect a fraction of the incidents that occurred.

03 April 2013 – France: Joey Barton
The Premier League footballer Joey Barton, who is currently on loan at Olympique de Marseille, made a transphobic ‘ladyboy’ comment on Twitter directed at Paris Saint Germain’s central defender, Thiago Silva.

03 April 2013 – Croatia: HNK Cibalia vs NK Lokomotiva
The Croatian Cup semi-final, between HNK Cibalia and NK Lokomotiva was marred by nationalist incidents. Before the match, members of the Cibalia Ultras fan group unfolded a banner that read “Freedom for the Liberators” and during the 17th and 90th minute , chanted "Kill, kill the Serbs” and “HNS faggots” respectively.

05 April 2013 – Portugal: Leixões
The Portuguese Football Association ordered the second division club, Leixões to play a match behind closed doors after a racist incident by fans in October 2012.

06 April 2013 – Croatia: HNK Rijeka vs NK Osijek

During the match between HNK Rijeka and NK Osijek, nationalist and discriminatory chants were sung by both sets of fans.

On the 29th minute, fans from NK Osijek, chanted "Mangy Rijeka, you are full of Serbs, don’t worry Rijeka, there are still some trees," This is a reference to a saying which dates from the time of the independent state of Croatia "[Hang the] Serbs from the trees." Thirteen minutes later, members of the Armada, fans of Rijeka, chanted "Osijek cunts". The same chants were repeated throughout the match.

07 April 2013 – Italy: Fiorentina vs AC Milan

The Serie A match between Fiorentina and AC Milan was marred by racist incidents when a group of fans from Fiorentina racially abused Mario Balotelli.

07 April 2013 – Scotland: Charles Green, Rangers FC

Rangers CEO Charles Green, made racist remarks in a Scottish newspaper, referring to a black player as “Darky” and to a business associate as “Paki”. The Rangers chief executive was fined 2,959 EUR after being found guilty by a Scottish FA judicial panel for the remarks.

08 April 2013 – Poland : Widzew Lodz vs Polonia Warsaw

Throughout the Ekstraklasa (Polish top league) football match between Widzew Lodz and Polonia Warsaw, fans of the home team displayed banners with Celtic crosses on them as a sign of ‘White Power’.

10 April 2013 – Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv

FC Dynamo Kyiv have been ordered to play their next two UEFA home matches behind closed doors because of racist chants by their supporters.

The sanction relates to incidents of racist behaviour by the Ukrainian club's supporters at the UEFA Champions League Group A match against Paris Saint-Germain FC, in Kyiv, on 21 November 2012, as well as at the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg against FC Girondins de Bordeaux, in Kyiv, on 14 February 2013.

14 April 2013 – USA: Portland Timbers vs San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes player, Alan Gordon used a homophobic slur against Portland's Will Johnson. Major League Soccer (MLS) suspended the player for three games and fined him an undisclosed amount. The player was also required to attend diversity and sensitivity training.

18 April 2013 – Bulgaria: Slavia vs Beroe

The manager of PFC Slavia, Velislav Vutsov used the “N-word” when referring to two Slavia players, after the match between the two sides. The racial comment was reinforced by the manager’s contempt for the players by saying that he did know their names, only their numbers, 21 and 29.

20 April 2013 – Bulgaria: Litex vs Levski Sofia

During the match between Litex and Levski Sofia, a group of fans from the visiting side displayed neo-Nazi banners reading the number 18, which stands for the first and eight letters of the alphabet (AH for Adolf Hitler) “Happy Birthday” in commemoration of Adolf Hitler’s 124th birth anniversary and swastikas. Members of the Levski Sofia fan group also performed Nazi salutes.

Levski Sofia were fined 19,200 EUR by the Bulgarian football association for the incident.

20 April 2013 - Poland: Zaglebie Sosnowiec vs Chrobry Glogow

Before the League II match (the Polish third division) between Zaglebie Sosnowiec and Chrobry Glogow, fans of the visiting side were stopped by security guards in the stadium when they tried to get in with Celtic cross flags.

21 April 2013 – Italy: Juventus vs AC Milan

During the warm up that preceded the match between Juventus and AC Milan, a group of supporters from Juventus racially abused Kevin-Prince Boateng by making monkey noises.

Juventus were fined 30,00 EUR by Italian league disciplinary chiefs for their fan’s racist behaviour.

25 April 2013 – European Court of Justice: George Becali

The European Court of Justice ruled Steaua Bucharest had to reinforce their anti-discriminatory recruitment policy after their owner, George Becali’s homophobic comments in a press conference in 2012. At the time, the Steaua Bucharest owner was making an assessment of his fans chants about ’Gypsies’ and ‘gays’ and said: "There is no excuse for discrimination. Yet, whilst I love the gays, you must understand: gays cannot be in football teams. The players bathe naked! I love gays, but I'd never employ one. Put one in a team and you'd never win again."

26 April 2013 – Italy: Inter Milan vs Tottenham Hotspur

Internazionale have been fined 45,000 EUR for discriminatory incidents against Kyle Naughton and Emmanuel Adebayor during their round of 16 return leg against Tottenham Hotspur FC in Milan on 14 March 2013.

28 April 2013 – Italy: Torino vs Juventus

During the match between the two Italian teams, Torino player Riccardo Meggiorini allegedly racially insulted the “bianconeri” midfielder Paul Pogba by using the expression “dirty black”. The incident was reported to the referee at half term and Meggionrini was advised by the

Torino coach to make an apology to both the player and the referee.

29 April 2013 – Germany: Energie Cottbus vs 1. FC Kaiserslautern

After the match between Energie Cottbus and 1 FC Kaiserslautern, Mohamadou Idrissou, a player from the away side made a homophobic slur against the match referee Wolfgang Stark, during a television interview. The player was fined 3,000 EUR by the sports court of the German Football Federation for the incident.

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