Benni on racism on Euro benches

‘I had exceptionally difficult times’

Benni McCarthy has acknowledged that black coaches will struggle to get jobs in European football.

Bafana Bafana’s all-time top scorer began his head coaching career with a promising twoand-a-half seasons at Cape Town City where he won the 2018 MTN8 and reached the 2017 final‚ and finished fifth and fourth in the Absa Premiership.

McCarthy was asked‚ in the context of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers and current protests across the US‚ about his experiences on racism as a player‚ and on preferences for a job as a coach.

“Listen‚ you see what’s going on in the world right now. It’s very much still part and parcel of society today. But it’s only because of ignorance‚” he said.

“But‚ ja‚ my time hasn’t been all smooth sailing. I’ve had exceptionally difficult times.

“And it is difficult. No matter how much you want to make it different‚ if somebody else doesn’t want to accept this part of me there’s very little that one can do about that.

“But in today’s society‚ do you see a lot of us coaching in Europe? Because‚ ja‚ it’s just how society is that the majority of club owners don’t feel comfortable having an African or black person in charge of their team.”

McCarthy said a situation of pathfinders paving the way for the next generation exists already for players‚ and although racism still exists‚ there has been an improvement on the blatant examples he experienced when he played in Europe.

“Back then it was blatant. Now people turn their backs and say it behind your back.

“They don’t come to your face or do it in ways that it’s getting highlighted now.”