Russian Premier League: 2011-2012

Awesome Goal by Yakovlev.

http://www.championat.com/video/football/v/45/45536.html

I really hope this kid develops. Such a great talent.

 

CSKA-Loko should be big the weekend, Loko can pull within 1 of 2nd with a win. Nice to see them doing well.

 

Yeah I kind of get what you're saying.

The thing is, I don't have any sympathy for Samba even if the thrower's motives were racist. There's enough evidence now for any black footballer to realize that this type of thing will happen in Russia, especially for high-profile, big-money signings like Samba.

 

Cup Action:

Rubin 4-0 Loko (2 Goals from Gokdeniz)
Zenit 0-1 Dynamo (Misimovic PK)

 

Bit of both really. Unfortunately Russia is a country and culture where now racism is openly tolerated, plus football fans tend to be some of the dumber people in society, specifically the ones who go to matches just to cause trouble. So when racism is tolerated plus a guy thinks its a good way to send a message to the other team that we hate you? This happens.

 

Nobody attack with bananas black players from other teams, only Anzhi. So maybe it have nothing with rascism? Roberto even dont seem like a black person for me.

 

Dislike of certain ethnic groups (and lets be frank, Russian racism is directed towards just about anybody who isn't white) is racism.

Whether they think they are barely humans or not probably doesn't matter to these guys

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4737468.stm


Fact is its a huge problem and I would be very hesitant if I was black to travel around Russia. The other problem is that things are getting worse not better in Russia. During Soviet times racist attacks were prohibited and the government promoted an internationalist agenda. Now the current government basically ignores racial attacks when it's convenient, and even encourages to some degree these racist feelings because it directs anger and disenfranchisement with the current situation away from the ruling party.

 

Does everyone go out throwing bananas and trying beat up black people? No. But unfortunately there is a climate that currently allows the few psychos out there the chance to incubate those feelings and express them openly without much fear of retribution. If a similar incident happened in the US where a black man was beaten because it was black it would spark national outrage. In Russia it gets a passing glance.

 

It gets a passing glance because Russians have a longer history of turning the other cheek to other people's problems (spasibo Soviet Union) and because racism is relatively tolerated. It doesn't shock or disturb many Russians that youths are seeking out non white people on the street to assault, because they don't really find the idea of racism to be all that abhorrent so it is simply an act of violence, which as long as it doesn't directly affect you can be ignored.

It has little to do with having a population of Africans. Russians has had a longer history of non white people in it's territory and people of central Asian decent are attack and persecuted just as ruthlessly as Africans.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear.

A guy is beaten in the US and Russia. Both people are relatively outraged upset about a guy getting beaten up.

Now add in the situation, that it was a racially motivated attack.

US rage goes off the charts, Russian rage doesn't move from before.

All non white people in Russia are subjected to widespread racism and occasionally violence. Caucasians (not whites, but people from the Caucasus's), Central Asians, all people who have been part of Russia since roughly the 17th century are subjected to racist attacks.

 

Are they also throwing bananas at white players like McGeady or Criscito or Zhirkov?

If not, then of course there is some element of racism with these bananas being thrown at black guys since this is universally regarded as a racist act. If they were throwing baloons or snow or something else, then maybe we could just pass it off as a joke.

This is the exact reason why I don't feel sorry at all for top players like Samba or Eto'o or Carlos who come to Russia. If I went down to South America or South Africa to play, I'd expect some racism directed towards me as well.

What exactly do you mean by this?

 

Well I hope you're right, but it's going downhill right now. Hopefully something happens to change things.

It's interesting that many of the same attitudes pervade in Ukraine about Africans and non white people. Racism is fairly openly tolerated but there are very few if any violent incidents towards ethnic minorities. I think there could be multiple explanations for it but I think a lot of it has to do with Russia's much more violent post USSR history and that Ukrainians have many more avenues to vent their frustrations and anger.



*Ukrainians = citizens of Ukraine, not ethnic. This includes Ukrainians citizens of Russian decent.

 

You're spot on about that.

 

Zhirkov was booed in Moscow while playing for Russia right after he signed for Anzhi, but that's about it I believe.

No one has thrown bananas at Eto'o though. Maybe he just has too much respect.

 

I'm actually shocked that no one has abused Eto'o yet considering that he was a victim of racism in both Spain and Italy. Seems like he'd be the number 1 target for Russian fans considering that he's a dark-skinned African, a superstar player, and clearly only playing in Russia for the money.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go_z3GTmUQI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go_z3GTmUQI[/ame]