SHAME ON YOU
Racism will stay until UEFA gets tough on culprits, laments Gerrard
S‘I don’t think the punishments for it are big enough’
TEVEN GERRARD has warned that racism will never be kicked out of football until UEFA get tougher on offenders. The Rangers boss was responding to questions about the European governing body’s decision not to subject Sparta Prague to disciplinary proceedings after an investigation into allegations of racism against Glen Kamara found ‘insufficient evidence’.
The Ibrox club had contacted UEFA after the midfielder, who was on the receiving end of a racial slur by Slavia Prague’s Ondrej Kudela in March, was consistently booed by home fans throughout his side’s 1-0 defeat in the Czech Republic last month.
Sparta fans were banned from the Letna Stadium following racist abuse of Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni in August, but around 10,000 schoolchildren were permitted to attend, along with some accompanying adults.
Finnish international Kamara was sent off during the match and is suspended for tonight’s home Europa League tie with Brondby.
Asked if he was surprised or disappointed by UEFA’s decision not to pursue the case against Sparta Prague, which was described by Kamara’s lawyer Aamer Anwar as ‘a joke’, Gerrard replied: ‘Probably a bit of both.
‘I have said it before and I will say it again, I don’t think the punishments are big enough for this type of stuff, not just in this game and in terms of the Glen (Kamara) incident.
‘As a whole, I don’t think the punishments for racism are enough and that is the reason why it won’t be totally eradicated out of the game any time soon.
‘We will miss Glen on Thursday night. He is a good player and, in an ideal situation, we would have him available.’
Rangers defender Connor Goldson missed the trip to Prague with injury but he witnessed the treatment of Kamara on television.
He also believes that little will change until European football’s governing body starts clamping down on racism.
Goldson said: ‘I watched the match at home and you heard (the booing of Kamara) so early in the game and it continued throughout.
‘So the whole lack of evidence thing is obviously disappointing to hear but, as I’ve said numerous times, it’s not going to change.
‘There’s not much we can really do any more to change it. It’s going to keep happening.
‘We just need to try and do as much as we can to help educate and to try and influence the next generation of people. But, as I said before, I don’t think UEFA are really going to stand up and really help us in that sector.’