Does booing Czech children lead to diplomatic row at football match?

Czech football club Sparta Prague reacted sharply on Friday to the uproar after Thursday’s Europa League match against Glasgow Rangers (1-0). Because of the punishment for a previous racist incident, it was played only for 10,000 children and adults accompanying them on Thursday. But this did not prevent racist treatment from the stands. Glen Kamara, the Finnish midfielder of Glasgow Rangers with Sierra Leonean roots, was received with boos and whistles throughout the match.

During the previous season, Kamara was also confronted with racism in the Czech Republic. In March, he was playing with Glasgow Rangers in the Europa League against Slavia Prague when his opponent Ondrej Kudela racially treated him. UEFA suspended the Slavia Prague defender for ten games, causing him to miss the European Championship this summer. More than half a year later, things went wrong again in Prague. To make matters worse, Kamara was sent off with a red card fifteen minutes before the end.

After Thursday’s match, football analysts and social media users spoke of the young spectators’ behaviour. Glasgow Rangers coach Steven Gerrard stated afterwards that his club had reported the incident to UEFA. “These cases still arise far too often and unfortunately the penalties are not enough.”

‘Unacceptable, desperate and ridiculous’

On Friday, Sparta Prague defended the behavior of its young fans. “Blaming children on the internet and in the media is unacceptable, desperate and ridiculous,” the club said in a statement. a statement.

Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek also chose in a tweet the flight forward. He announced that he would call the British ambassador. “Deliberately spreading disgusting insults against Czech children in the media and on the internet has no place in football and not at all in good relations between the two countries,” Kulhanek said in his tweet, who said he will discuss the situation with the British ambassador next Monday. want to discuss.