Editor's note: Keith McGehee is Senior Research Fellow and Visiting Professor in Cultural Justice at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University of London. He is Chair and Professor of Social Justice Practice at Newcastle University Law School and author of Prophetic Justice: Race, Religion and Politics. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion pieces on CNN.
CNN —
England face Serbia on Sunday in their opening match of the Euro 2024 championships in Germany, and British police have assured members of the racially diverse England team that any racist slurs they receive online during the tournament will be taken extremely seriously.
Aaron Dunworth
Keith McGhee
But here's some important background from a few years ago.
Following England's penalty shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final in July 2021, three black England stars – Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka – were the targets of vile and racist slurs online.
There was widespread outrage. Several people who posted the hateful messages were arrested, there was an outpouring of sympathy and support for the three young players across the country, and Prince William, chairman of the English Football Association, said he was “disgusted” by what had happened.
Since then, the FA, UEFA and football's international governing body FIFA have visibly stepped up their anti-racism efforts, launching strategies focused on preventing, eradicating and punishing racist abuse not only on the pitch or in the stands but also on social media.
Given these high-profile efforts to combat discrimination, despite a string of horrific incidents both at home and abroad that tarnish the so-called beautiful sport, it's fair to be optimistic that the tide is turning.
For example, some might conclude that Monday's prison sentences in Spain for three racist Valencia fans are evidence of a new, tougher stance on racism in European football. Last year, Spanish offenders convicted of yelling racist slurs at Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior were given eight months in prison and banned from stadiums for two years.
All of this brings me back to Saka, the only footballer of the three victims of the post-Euro 2020 backlash to be named in the team of the year.
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Bukayo Saka of England tries to keep possession of the ball during an international friendly match between England and Iceland at Wembley Stadium in London, England on June 7, 2024.
Saka may have expected to be able to board a plane to Germany for Sunday's game against Serbia, never to be harassed again, or at least not to the extent that he was before. Surely everyone knows by now: officially, there is zero tolerance for racism in football, which means black and brown players across Europe should finally feel protected and respected. Or not?
Saka knows UEFA monitors will be present at all Euro 2024 matches, keeping an eye out for racist incidents, and the federation's social media team will be searching online platforms for abusive posts, lobbying for their removal and reporting posters to police, who have pledged to prosecute where possible.
But racism is back in the news in English football, a reminder of one of life's most important lessons: never take progress for granted. And this time the suspect is an institution that football's governing body appears to have overlooked in its anti-discrimination campaign: the mainstream media.
A few days earlier, England had lost a friendly match against Iceland at Wembley Stadium, 0-1, to booing from an irate home crowd. Saka, fresh from injury, was subbed on in the 65th minute, long after the winning goal, but had little impact on the result.
However, the next morning, several mainstream media outlets chose Saka's photo to report the defeat, using sensationalist headlines such as “Black Ice.”
Karl Resene/Pool/Reuters
England players watch the penalty shootout during the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium in London, where Italy beat England in July 2021.
Some critical observers have noted that busy newsrooms sometimes lead reporters to make rash choices, but I see this as more than that — an attempt by pundits who should be smarter to pin the blame for the team's overall disappointing performance on black players.
Commentator and former player Ian Wright was quick to comment: I pointed that out to X. “We all know what's going on and who is being made into the face of defeat,” wrote Sir Lewis Hamilton, sharing the Versus post on his own Instagram account, writing, “The British media must be held to account for their systematic vilification of black players…This ingrained racism should not have a place in football, yet countless media outlets suggest otherwise.”
On Monday, Tony Barnett, CEO of anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, published an open letter to media outlets, reminding them of the disastrous Euro 2020 and asking: “Has the media learned nothing?”
Barnett is, of course, right. No one in the British media can claim to be unaware of how harmful racism can be. Selecting a photo of a black player for the sports page of a major news outlet after the national team's defeat helps set the tone for the entire country's reaction.
You're giving online trolls, soccer fans, and teenagers playing in the park permission to blame black players whenever something goes wrong at a game. And for some who harbor hatred in their hearts, it's not a big leap from doing that to blaming black people when something goes wrong at home. For example, the recent spate of conservative politicians who have stoked hatred with what many consider to be racist dog whistles is something anyone with a public platform should think twice about.
It would take extreme naivety to think that institutional racism has been eradicated in the UK. Recent protests and shocking research have certainly raised awareness and found new allies in the anti-racism movement, but we must not become complacent. Football, like society, has a long and shameful history of dehumanising people on the grounds of race and ethnicity.
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While it is important to point out the serious shortcomings of national and international organisations working to eradicate all forms of discrimination from sport, as several key figures have pointed out, we should support their efforts to do so and be grateful for the heroic work of anti-racism charities such as Show Racism the Red Card and Kick It Out, which fight racism in football and beyond through campaigns and education programmes.
But above all, we must take personal responsibility for our own actions and never forget that racism can rear its ugly head at the slightest provocation. It is important, now more than ever, to be mindful of what we say, what we post and share online, and which photos we make public.
I hope England wins Euro 2024, but if they don't, I hope no player of any colour is scapegoated and made to bear the weight of an entire nation's disappointment. At the end of the day, football is just a game, but the best elements of the sport are trying to stand up against hate, and we all need to buy into that.
Editor's note: CNN contacted the Daily Sun, Telegraph and Daily Star regarding the controversy over publishing Saka's photo after England's loss to Iceland, but had not received a response at the time of publication. In its reporting on the move to use Saka's photo, the BBC quoted a spokesman as saying the decision “was not intended to highlight his performance in particular” and that his photo was one of several of the players used. “Of course, it is important that we are thoughtful and careful about the photos we use,” the spokesman added.
