soccer

Nakamura quits Slovakian club over racism

25 Comments

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25 Comments
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Two minds are telling me this:

1) It was right that he came home. He really didn't have to put up with this. 2) Racist harassment occurs everywhere, even in countries where racial awareness in football is high. Slovakia, unfortunately, isn't one of them. What did you expect???

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Eastern Europe really has a problem with this racist chanting from fans. Not much can be done as it seems to be socially ingrained. Guess foreign players will just avoid.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

What did you expect???

He expected to be treated as a human being instead of a target of Slovakian racism. He expected that by travelling halfway around the world to ply his trade, that he would be supported by his Slovakian colleagues. Don't put this on Nakamura.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

What is is about soccer that brings out such antisocial and psychotic tendencies? I'm reminded of accounts about US fans during the 1947 baseball season, when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and was subject to a torrent of abuse. Attitudes toward black athletes changed because teams wanted to win. Anyway I'm glad to see organizers finally begin to take action against verbal abuse by fans. If they can't behave, then reschedule the game and play it in an empty stadium.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Nakamura should have done his research.

The SNS - or Slovak National Party an ultra-right "socialist nationalist party," (sound familiar?), is part of the coalition government in Slovakia.

The party leader Slota stated that, "The Hungarians are a cancer in the body of the Slovak nation." So imagine what they think of us Asians?

2 ( +6 / -4 )

He's a handy player and I'm sure he can find a club where he can do a good job without neanderthals like this on his back. These leagues are hardly a step up from the J-League anyway. Let them wallow in their own crap.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

No sportsman should be subjected to abuse like this. A complete disgrace, and Nakamura's decision to walk away is the biggest message he can send to the Slovakian FA. FIFA and UEFA will do nothing but hand out minuscule fines and meaningless warnings - it's sadly up to the players to either walk off the pitch (like AC Milan) or walk away and show fans that this will not be tolerated.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

He's done the right thing. Only going to be fighting a pointless lonely battle on his own there.

This team, and the Czech team that loaned him out there aren't even in the top divisions of their countries. How can floating around the lower leagues of eastern Europe be any better than the j-league? I find it hard to believe that the money of quality of football is any better.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

"Several Japanese players have encountered difficulties while playing overseas."

Nakamura seems to think that Japanese are the only people who experience racism in soccer, and 'no one will help'. However, unfortunate as it is, racism is rampant in soccer EVERYWHERE, and especially in Europe, and in particular the UK -- where it's even 'part of the game'.

Hopefully steps some associations have claimed they would take to lessen racism from fans will have an effect, but it's going to take quite some time.

-10 ( +4 / -14 )

@smithinjapan

No, you're wrong. There was a lot of racism in the UK decades ago but even the slightest thing will now make headlines and get players/fans lengthy bans. Everyone remembers the iconic picture of John Barnes playing for Liverpool back in the 80s having bananas thrown at him - that generation did indeed do a lot to change things but Nakamura is just one guy in a 2nd division league 25 years behind the times with hardly any overseas players - its better to pick fights worth fighting.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

What did you expect???

Er, respect for individual would be a base starter.

Japanese soccer players need to grow thicker skins.

Actually, I think the racists need to change. Why condone it?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Sorry Smith, you be wrong, I am sure Nakamura must know that racism is not only directed at Japanese, but he IS Japanese and if these low lifes in backwards Slovakia want to be racist, that is their problem, let the stupid Slovaks think that they are superior, but see what happens on the field, I would be so funny if say China?? Korea? Beat these Slovaks say 6 to 0?? See how superior their race feels then!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

@Smith Sorry, you are way out with the 'in particular the UK' when describing racism in football. Nobody denies it's there and we saw the Suarez/Evra and Terry/Ferdinand incidents on the field ( both culprits particularly idiotic players ) but they were punished for it. Similarly, fans have been named, shamed and banned in the UK for racist chants or shouts. Davestrousers mentioned John Barnes and I could add opposing fans making hissing sounds at Spurs fans to imitate the sound of gas chambers - that was commonplace in the 80s but a recent incident was treated with disgust by West Ham United FC who said they would ban any fan who dragged their club's name through the mud. Your comment is about 20 years out of date.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

This is not about soccer. This is not about Japan. The Slovak Republic has a nasty history of racism which Nakamura would have discovered by using Google.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

If you don't like xenophobia, homophobia, or any kind of discrimination, don't play football anywhere in the world. I personally will never leave my kids playing this dumb sport with rampant nationalism and racism.

The same things happens every weekend in France, England, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, ...

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

It's funny how, a people (slavs) so victimized by racism in the past can be so hypocritically racist themselves.

Wait... What's that?.... I hear something in the distance. Are those jack-boots?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

racism is rampant in soccer EVERYWHERE, and especially in Europe, and in particular the UK -- where it's even 'part of the game'.

It's not limited to soccer, and it's not just a the UK (or anywhere else in Europe). I remember reading the memoirs of an American baseball player in Japan. He stated that Japanese spectators used to chant the n-word at him.

And who was that zainichi (Korean-Japanese) soccer player who went to play for Korea and found himself the target of racist abuse from his teammates?

Whatever the case, it's disgusting and very discouraging. I'm sorry that this happened to Nakamura. I wish him well.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

It's funny how, a people (slavs) so victimized by racism in the past can be so hypocritically racist themselves. Wait... What's that?.... I hear something in the distance. Are those jack-boots?

ironically, neo-nazism is very prevalent in countries that suffered the most from hitler.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

He's a handy player and I'm sure he can find a club where he can do a good job without neanderthals like this on his back

He should change of sport. Beach volley is OK ?

What is is about soccer that brings out such antisocial and psychotic tendencies?

Well, in Europe, soccer is a magnet for a whole class of social failures. All the groups of neo-Nazi, punks, gangs of street fighting losers, they are not liked anywhere. The only place in society that welcomes them is the soccer stadium. The typical soccer club is directed by populists with inflated egos. For them, the more fans, the more rabid those fans, the more powerful they feel. I have always seen them encouraging and helping the hooligans... And whenever big troubles occurred, they'd say "We want to change that, we want to change soccer..." but they only do the minimum to answer criticism. Remember the slaughter in Belgium at that time. That's only then that they started to pretend reacting.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

its not only Eastern Europe. Western Europeans have problems with racism..

The Japanese player did the right thing by coming back to Japan.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@smithinjapan

"Nakamura seems to think that Japanese are the only people who experience racism in soccer,"

Where in the article did he even remotely imply that Japanese are the only victims of racism ?

And no, racism in soccer is NOT everywhere. If something like this happened in Premier league or any other major league, this would be a much bigger deal.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

well done nakamura! its not against japanese, its against every human race out on this planet. this not only happens in eastern europe, this happens in every country - every weekend you got the ape noises in the premiere league, or racist cheers in italy hide suzuki. its really a shame, and nakamuras leave makes sensibilize and talk. like when boateng left the field in a friendly match and his teammates followed him. somehow we never mature as society, thats a shame.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The party leader Slota stated that, "The Hungarians are a cancer in the body of the Slovak nation." So imagine what they think of us Asians?

Kundong: despicable as this comment is, Hungarians are to Slovakians, what Japanese are to Koreans - the centuries long oppressors.

Slovakia, nice country as it is, does have an deeply rooted racist undertone to it, partly as a result of its large gypsy population, who live just beneath the surface, in squalid, 3rd world conditions. However, your average Japanese tourist who has taken the quick drive or ferry from Vienna to Bratislava will almost certainly not encounter this.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

chanting "fukushima, fukushima" - while highly inappropriate is not racist by any stretch of the imagination

Part of being a professional athlete is the jeers and boos from opposing fans (and sometimes your own if you're playing poorly!)

The problem is when these jeers turn to racist remarks and no athlete (really, no one everywhere!) should be subject to this

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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