Friday, October 1st, 2021
After racist insults
The Czech Republic appoints British ambassadors
During the game between Sparta Prague and the Glasgow Rangers, the player Glen Kamara is booed and insulted by children. In Great Britain they are accused of racism. There are diplomatic upheavals between the two countries.
The Europa League game between Glasgow Rangers and Sparta Prague has diplomatic consequences. The Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek protested against reports that children and young people had racially insulted the Glasgow professional footballer Glen Kamara from the stands at the encounter in Prague. The Social Democrat announced on Twitter that he would therefore appoint the British ambassador for a meeting at the Foreign Office in Prague on Monday.
“Tasteless insults to Czech children” have no place in football or in relations between the two countries, criticized the chief diplomat. Among other things, the “Glasgow Times” reported that Kamara was booed and racially insulted by the 10,000 young Sparta fans every time they hit the ball. The 25-year-old midfielder was born in Finland to African immigrants.
The game ended in a 1-0 win for the hosts. Actually, the duel against the Scots should be played in front of empty grandstands because of a racism scandal at another Sparta game. However, due to a special permit, 10,000 children between the ages of six and 14 and their supervisors were allowed into the stadium.
Not the first incident in Prague
Individual groups booed Kamara every time they touched the ball and cheered when the 25-year-old was thrown off the pitch in the 74th minute after his second yellow card. His lawyer Aamer Anwar scolded: “Tonight shows once again that Prague has a serious problem with racism and, as usual, UEFA is nowhere to be seen.”
Sparta dismissed the “unfounded allegations” as “ridiculous”. In a statement, the Rangers were asked to put a stop to the “xenophobic atmosphere towards our children, our country and its people”.
Kamara had already been racially insulted by opponent Ondrej Kudela during the Europa League round of 16 between Rangers and Slavia Prague last March. Kudela was suspended for ten games and missed the EM. Kamara, too, accused Kudela of having beaten him, had to take three games off the table.