The World Cup Thread *******

Freakaholic

not just an addiction
Materazzi vs Zidane: should there be repercussions?

Ive gotten in some heated arguments here, and read some interesting articles.

One, on Counterpunch, calls for Italy to give back the Cup.

http://www.counterpunch.org/zirin07112006.html

A friend thinks that Materazzi should be suspended or fined if there were racist remarks made.

Personally, I tend to side with this article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5168622.stm

I think taunting is part of the game, and that people will do whatever is necessary to get someone off of their game. Aterwards, all is generally forgotten.

But I think this begets a different question: When has it gone too far? Are there personal lines you shouldnt cross, or should everyone in the game realize its just a tactic, like pulling shirts, twisting nipples, even spitting?

Even further, are these illegal, but largely missed, aspects of the world's game bad for the game? I tend to think that they make it interesting, but on the other hand, if racism is a problem, this could make it worse. But then, racism is a problem with or without soccer, soccer just being a nother facet of life.

At what point is soccer no longer politics, and when should the two interact?
 

nomos

Administrator
I read the BBC one earlier today and thought that it cynically evaded the matter of racism in soccer. Taunting is part of every sport but racism has no place there. Racist remarks (and homophobic as well) should be red card offences, just the same as you wouldn't allow a player on the field with swastikas painted on his cheeks.
 

3underscore

Well-known member
autonomicforthepeople said:
Racist remarks (and homophobic as well) should be red card offences, just the same as you wouldn't allow a player on the field with swastikas painted on his cheeks.

Any racist remark is a red card offence. FIFA have made this very clear on multiple occassions. The problem is proving it, and at present noone involved is suggesting that is what was said (or anything for that matter).
 

trza

Well-known member
I was bored and there wasn't anything else on television to watch so I caught a couple of the Womens World Cup games over the past month. Am I supposed to care that these games were on artificial turf? Or that the FIFA officials stayed in Switzerland instead of taking a trip to Canada?
 
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