3. How does Lukaku deal with the racism he has encountered — both emotionally and as a player on the field?
4. What factors are connected to the increase in racism at European soccer matches, according to the article?
5. Why did Lukaku leave England after nearly eight years of play? Why did he feel that criticisms of his performance with Manchester United were biased and unfair?
6. What does Stella Orakwue, the author of “Pitch Invaders: The Modern Black Football Revolution,” mean when she writes that black players are judged “not on the basis of their individuality but on the basis of concocted group characteristics, enshrined in mythology”? How do characterizations of Lukaku’s play by fans, sportscasters and media support her view?
7. The article concludes:
He [Lukaku] does not feel cowed. He has not allowed it to sour his experience. But that does not mean that he is prepared to tolerate it, or that he believes others should be forced to endure it, or wait passively as education improves and ignorance erodes.
“You have to keep coming on strong,” he said. “You have to keep fighting.” He cannot be silent, so he does what he has always done: He stands up, and speaks.
What is your reaction to Lukaku’s final quote? What lessons can we learn from his story — whether we are fans of the sport or not?
Going Further
Choose one or more of the following activities:
1) What should be done to address racism in European soccer?
This summer, the Union of European Football Associations, the governing body of European soccer and the umbrella organization for 55 national associations — including the Premier and Italian leagues — set a three-step protocol for handling racist abuse during matches. Step one involves a message played over the public-address system, with step two having the referee take the teams off the field for a period of time. If the players return to action and another episode of racist behavior occurs, the game will be ended as the third step of the protocol.
In a related article, “In Fight Against Racism, Soccer Can Choose the Playing Field,” Mr. Smith writes:
Many would advocate an outright ban for teams or nations that are repeat offenders, like Bulgaria. If there is a fear that may nourish some sort of victim complex — though it should be pointed out that at the heart of all far-right thinking is a contorted sense of persecution — then perhaps a simpler solution is at hand.
There is no reason that any player, white or black, should be expected to go and play in a country with a history of racist abuse. Perhaps, then, those nations where this occurs depressingly frequently should be forced to play all of their matches away from home. The same punishment could be meted out to club teams, rather than forcing games to be played without fans but on familiar ground.
What do you think should be done?
Should teams or nations be banned? Should games be halted? Should players and teams walk off the field? Should fans be suspended or banned? Should other fans intervene? Should players shrug off racist chants as a part of the game, as some Italian fans suggested after an episode last year?
