It has been all about Thierry Henry and his "Hand of God" this past 24 hours. Articles, comments, they are everywhere, lambasting the striker for his role in the controversial equaliser. I am a Gooner, and Henry scored the goal which mesmerized me into pledging my allegiance to Arsenal.

Click to continue reading...

This letter from Nicolas Sarkozy's office requesting a box at Croke Park on the weekend kicks off what may be the great diplomatic blowup since WWII. Some, all or none if this may be true/legit. What's inarguable is that it's fantastically hilarious. Well wishes for bike accident victim Carlo Cudicini. Click to continue reading...

Big Story
It's been a bad week for football with racism by fan(s) prominently rearing its head again. Supporters continue to take a stand against racism in the game, but sometimes even their own clubs don't support their efforts in a shocking and petty move, Bristol Rovers management have refused to run an anti-racism ad in the club's matchday magazine by the club's own supporters trust, the Gas Independent Fans' Trust (GIFT).

Click to continue reading...

Could you imagine Marvel Wynne or O'Brien White getting racially abused in the BMO parking lot by a Toronto FC supporter? Not that I'm of the whole "there's no racism here, we live under Pierre Trudeau's beautiful multicultural rainbow where nothing ever goes wrong" school of Canadian self back-slappery, but let's just say if it happened, I suspect you would get headlines in every single national daily, weeks of op-eds about how racism persists in Canada, and anti-racist tifos in the south end that would make Dichio's tribute look like a bit of tissue paper. Click to continue reading...

Because my e-mail in-box is clogged, I give you:

*Word that San Pedro's Carlos Martinez (Wilmington Jr.) and Fontana's Victor Chavez were selected to the U.S. Under-17 team that will play in the World Cup for the age group later this month in Nigeria. Full squad and schedule here.

*A Q&A with Robbie Rogers of Rolling Hills Estates in the wake of his World Cup qualifying performance here.

Click to continue reading...

A few of the articles that have been in Butt's Brain over the past 24 hours...

• Rafa Benitez says he would never coach Manchester United. He might not be coaching Liverpool by the end of the month, much less Manchester United, so he should probably just focus on his own work [Tribal Football]

• An exclusive interview with Arsenal's in-form Captain, Cesc Fabregas [Arsenal FC Blog]

• Michael Moore-esque World Cup documentary [Unprofessional Foul]

• TalkSport contest - if you live in the UK [Dirty Tackle]

• USMNT and Rangers midfielder Maruice Edu suffers racism [Off the Post]

Click to continue reading...

How do you define a bad night? Your team, playing in Europe for the 286th time, getting beaten 4-1 at home by a team making their fifth European appearance. That's a bad night.It's not, as some people have said today, a shameful night. Football does this sometimes. No matter how much it hurts at the time, it's in the nature of the game. Click to continue reading...

Racism is a disgusting thing, whether in Football or outside of Football. It seems all the more personal and horrifying when a guy reveals he's been a victim of racism on a social networking site. It really brings it to life. Maurice Edu, Rangers and USMNT, revealed that he was subject of some racial abuse from [. Click to continue reading...

Bjorn Heidelstrom is cycling from Oslo to Cape Town and collecting signed football jerseys from all teams of all levels along the way. All these shirts will be be sewn together to form the world's largest signed football-shirt - a symbol of the unity of the football family and its solidarity with the plight of young refugees.

Click to continue reading...

It's no surprise to anyone reading this that racism has become a huge problem for this blog. I am going to very clearly lay out the rules regarding racism: 1. It's not allowed. That's it. You post a racist remark/derogatory term, and we will do our best to blacklist you and edit Click to continue reading...

Stoke recently apologized to Blackpool striker Jason Euell for apparent racism at a Tuesday match. The offender has since been arrested and faces a stadium ban.
Everton on the other hand took a different approach, and is demanding an apology from Blackburn's El Hadji-Diouf for false accusations of racism. Click to continue reading...

This stinks all the way around...

Blackburn's El-Hadji Diouf claims that he was racially harrassed and heckled during the Rovers' match with Everton on Sunday. Everton is demanding an apology from Diouf saying "That is a wholly false allegation and I really would like him to retract that allegation and apologise to the supporters and staff of this football club.

Click to continue reading...

The Blackburn Rovers striker El Hadji Diouf last night claimed that Everton fans threw bananas at him on Sunday as fresh allegations of racism marred Stoke City's Carling Cup win over Blackpool.

The Blackpool manager Ian Holloway said that his substitute, Jason Euell, was racially abused by a Stoke supporter during last night's game at the Britannia Stadium.

Click to continue reading...

Word is Seattle and Qwest Field might get the nationally-televised MLS opener against Philly in 2010.
Also, the MLS Cup this year is gonna get primetime treatment from ESPN.
Seattle rules.
Now the links:

• Bobby Robson tribute. [BBC]
  
• Does soccer need a visible game clock?

Click to continue reading...

Big Story

Last season, Juventus were forced to play a game behind closed doors after fans racially abused Inter's Mario Balotelli. On Saturday, Balotelli was abused again this time by Cagliari fans and the match went on, a decision criticised after by both Massimo Moratti, President of Inter, and by Italian Footballers Association president Sergio Campana.

Click to continue reading...

Tensions ran high in the Premier League on Sunday, giving us a few more events to add to the shame reel for this young season. So come with us now, on a photographic tour of all the ugliness that occurred.

Starting off, we have Blackburn's El-Hadji Diouf (pictured above) a man who has already in his career been fined and banned for spitting on a Celtic supporter and former Portsmouth player Arjen De Zeeuw allegedly saying "f**k off white boy" to a ball boy who didn't properly hand him the ball during Blackburn's 3-0 loss to Everton.

Click to continue reading...

When confronted with the accusation that she'd threatened to kill the line judge, echoing John McEnroe's mantra of complaint, Serena Williams looked at the officials and asked "Are you serious?"
Williams had lost her cool, that much is indisputable. This happens to many of the best athletes when things aren't going as they'd hoped and planned. Click to continue reading...

Stuff to read while you watch an entirely casual own-half goal for the Russian U21's..... The biggest and bestest football clubs in history. (SoccerLens) Out with the old, in with the new on Spanish sidelines. (ESPN) Barney Ronay interviewed on his new book. (EPL Talk) Richard Dunne's wife wears the pants, brings home his bacon. Click to continue reading...

"Adebayor, Adebayor, your dad washes elephants, your mum is a whore!" the Spurs fans chanted, racially abusing the former Arsenal player when he was still playing for their rivals.

Sections of our crowd seemed to like this chant, maybe because they're simple folk and enjoy things that rhyme, leading to it being sung inside Old Trafford - never in great numbers or at a great volume, but I've heard it.

Click to continue reading...

OK. I know a lot of you read that headline and either rolled your eyes, or muttered "dream on, sister."
I've been involved in a discussion on Big Soccer about Dan Loney's article, "Endless Summer". He opens with a reference to my post about the Galaxy/Barça game. Some Big Soccer readers have been baffled by my overtly political (feminist, Marxist) approach to the game (expressed in comments about Loney's article). Click to continue reading...

While the FA launches an investigation into the violence and hooliganism coming out of the West Ham - Millwall Carling Cup match on Tuesday - West Ham striker Carlton Cole has also confirmed that he received racist abuse - he was called a "monkey" by a minority of Millwall supporters in the same match this week. Click to continue reading...

Considering the picture at the top and the copy within (e.g. 'ones like Nani') we're pretty sure this is tongue in cheek:

http://whitevblack.wordpress.com

If not, apologies for spreading racist propaganda...

Click to continue reading...

Stonewall, a lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity, released a damning report on homophobia in English football this week entitled "Leagues Behind Football's Failure to Attack Anti-Gay Abuse". Stonewall found that 7 out of 10 fans have heard homophobic abuse directed at players during a game, and branded the sport "institutionally homophobic.

Click to continue reading...

Great stuff over at a weekend junk pile over at The Offside.
A riot police officer in Argentina -- one of the many jobs I never want to have.
On to the links:

• Rooney hospitalized? [Daily Mail]
• Talking with the W.C. bid committee dude. [Seattle Times]
• An anti-racism award to Balotelli.

Click to continue reading...

Cruzeiro reached the final of Copa Libertadores after a 2 goals draw against Gremio. Gremio played at home, but in 4 minutes (between the 34th and the 38th minutes) the visitors scored twice and buried the dreams of the home team.

After the final of Copa do Brasil and semi of the Libertadores, the joke that goes around in Brazil is this:
What do Inter Gremio and Michael Jackson have in common?

Click to continue reading...

Even these days, some people just don't get the whole racism thing.
Argentine striker Maxi Lopez of Gremio had a confrontation with midfielder Elicarlos of Cruzeiro after the team's Libertadores Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
"The striker Maxi Lopez called me a macaco (monkey), he said that to me," Elicarlos told reporters after Cruzeiro's 3-1 victory in Belo Horizonte, adding that he would report the incident to the police. Click to continue reading...

Caicedo a little too black to be dining out in Ecuador Manchester City's Felipe Caicedo has issued a writ against the owners of a restaurant in his native restaurant, accusing them of racism. Caicedo was searched and asked to identify himself by police while holidaying in the port city of Guayaquil. Click to continue reading...

Cruzeiro's 3-1 win over Gremio on Wednesday was marred by controversial circumstances surrounding Maxi Lopez's alleged "choice words" at their midfielder Elicarlos.

"Their striker Maxi Lopez called me a macaco (monkey)," Elicarlos declared after the game, adding that the matter would be reported to the police.

Click to continue reading...

Don't be fooled in thinking racism is isolated to Europe.
A recent story takes us to South America, where an Argentine (Maxi Lopez of Gremio) allegedly had some names for a black Brazilian opponent (Elicarlos of Cruzeiro).

"The striker Maxi Lopez called me a macaco (monkey), he said that to me," Elicarlos told reporters after Cruzeiro's 3-1 victory in Belo Horizonte, adding that he would report the incident to the police.

Click to continue reading...

After Cruzeiro's 3-1 victory over Gremio, Maxi Lopes from Gremio was detained by two police officers. The accusation: racism. Cruzeiro's Elicarlos accused the Argentinean forward of calling him "macaco" (monkey). The term is usually used in Argentina when trying to offend a Brazilian.

During the match, the two players had an argument.

Click to continue reading...

Now I'm certainly not going to start defending Chelsea's players or the reactions of certain fans after the final whistle back on May 6th. Yes, the referee had a nightmare, yes Chelsea should have had two penalties at least and yes to some people it was easy to understand the reactions of some of the players after Tom Henning Ovrebo's performance that night.

Click to continue reading...

Football manager Arsène Wenger has given his backing to the Council of Europe's 47-country campaign against racism and discrimination. Wenger said: "I support the Council of Europe in its campaign against discrimination. I believe everybody who loves football should just enjoy how great the players are and nothing else. Click to continue reading...

This guy has put up with more crap than any 18 year old these days should.
The young Italian stud was recently training with the U-21 national team in Rome. It didn't take long for AS Roma supporters to hurl bananas at the teenager along with their racist insults.
If you remember, Juventus had a play in an empty stadium earlier this year due to racism toward Balotelli. Click to continue reading...

The final podcast of the 2008-2009 season. Damon and Damian take a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly moments of another great footballing year. The next languagecaster.com season starts in August 2009 and it should be a great one with the World Cup in 2010. If you want to keep up with the latest news and language learning opportunities then why don't you subscribe to our Newsletter in the sidebar.

Click to continue reading...

France coach Raymond Domenech on Thursday said the jeering of his players during their 1-0 friendly defeat to Nigeria on Tuesday was "a form of racism".

The 1998 World Cup winners were whistled at throughout by a less than appreciative St Etienne crowd, who reserved most of their ire for players from local rivals Lyon.

Click to continue reading...