New Year Gets Off to a Sour Start in Italian Match

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/sports/soccer/04iht-taunt04.html

Version 0 of 1.

LONDON — The new year is three days old. It is a cold, crisp, sunny afternoon in Busto Arizio in northern Italy where a decent-sized following of a fourth division club, Pro Patria, is getting a rare view of A.C. Milan’s star players preparing for the resumption of Serie A competition this weekend.

Suddenly Kevin-Prince Boateng, one of the most spirited Milan players, picks up the ball and lashes it toward a section of the home fans. His anger is the result of racism in the raw, 2013 style.

A faction of loud-mouthed youths had jeered Boateng — and other Milan players, Urby Emmanuelson, Sulley Muntari and M’Baye Niang — for one reason only: the color of their skin.

Most of us cannot get inside the skin of players, no matter their color. Maybe we can, and we should, consider the feelings of players from the highest world rank who are subjected to vile, by now disgustingly outmoded, abuse as they exhibit of their talents on a local stage.

Boateng’s kick toward the spectators never reached them. A high steel fencing separates the crowd and the field in Busto Arizio, and that also tells a story of methods of protection that were outlawed long ago in other European countries, especially England after 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death against fences in 1989.

Anyway, Boateng was not prepared to take the abuse. He walked off removing his club jersey. The entire Milan team went with him, and it did not return. The entertainment was over, and the majority of spectators turned their ire on the minority of abusers.

We need to take stock. We must ask whether this can be the answer, abandoning play to the baying mob, rather than policing that small, mouthy, disgusting bunch of hooligans who ruin sport for the majority.

Part of this problem is that soccer’s officialdom is limp against racism. Just a few months ago, an England Under 21 team was subjected to continuous monkey chants and abuse in Serbia. UEFA, the European soccer authority, studied the evidence that led to acts of violence on the field, and handed paltry fines and warnings to the Serbian federation as well as fines to English players who reacted to the abuse.

In England, too, there have been fines and suspensions for the world renowned players Luis Suárez and John Terry — punishments that appear cursory in the face of racial insults traded in the theater of the sport, the stadiums.

In Spain, the Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o once attempted to walk off when he subjected to racist chanting while playing for Barcelona. Eto’o was persuaded to play on, Boateng was not.

For Boateng draws his inspiration from the Brazilian Pelé who more than 50 years ago set the template for multiracial soccer. Boateng, with soccer in his genes from both sides of his family, was born in Berlin to a German nurse and a Ghanaian father who attended university to study business administration.

His own travels have been wide, and he is fluent in six languages. On the field he is a lion-hearted competitor who gives his all for his colleagues. And they for him. “We were annoyed from the start,” said Milan’s captain, Massimo Ambrosini. after the walk off. “We gave a strong signal, although we regret it because a few have spoiled the day for everyone else.” For the record, Ambrosini is white.

So is the coach, Massimiliano Allegri who apologized to the families whose “beautiful day in the sun” was wrecked by “this uncivilized behavior.” Milan’s director, Umberto Gandini posted on Twitter: “Very proud of the Milan players who decided to walk off the pitch today because of racist abuse from a few idiots! No racism, no stupidity.”