MANCHESTER: British newspapers are helping to “fuel racism” with their portrayal of black footballers, Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling said on Sunday as police investigate whether he was racially abused during a Premier League match at Chelsea.
Two screenshots were posted on Sterling’s Instagram account highlighting contrasting coverage of young City teammates buying properties.
When Tosin Adarabioyo bought a house the headline in January called it a “mansion” and highlighted that the purchase was made despite the player “having never started a Premier League match.” There was more positive coverage of Phil Foden, who is white, buying a house for his mother also for around £2 million ($2.5 million).
“This young black kid is looked at in a bad light. Which helps fuel racism an(d) aggressive behavior,” Sterling wrote on Instagram. “So for all the newspapers that don’t understand why people are racist in this day and age all I have to say is have a second thought about fair publicity and give all players an equal chance.”
Sterling called the coverage “unacceptable.”
“You have two young players starting out their careers both play for the same team, both have done the right thing,” Sterling wrote, “which is buy a new house for their mothers who have put in a lot of time and love into helping them get where they are, but look at how the newspapers get their message across for the young black player and then for the young white player.”
The 24-year-old Sterling has had an uneasy relationship with the media, with critical coverage before the World Cup in Russia of his decision to get a tattoo of an assault rifle on his right leg. He said it was a tribute to his late father, who was shot dead when Sterling was 2.
On Instagram, Sterling only briefly touched on Saturday’s incident at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium when a man appeared to aggressively hurl abuse at him as the ball was being retrieved on the byline. Police are reviewing footage that circulated widely online during City’s 2-0 loss.
“I just want to say, I am not normally the person to talk a lot but when I think I need my point heard I will speak up,” Sterling wrote. “Regarding what was said at the Chelsea game, as you can see by my reaction I just had to laugh because I don’t expect no better.”
The previous weekend in the Premier League, a banana skin was thrown at Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as he celebrated scoring against Tottenham in the Premier League’s north London derby.
English soccer’s anti-racism organization, Kick It Out, complained Sunday that the chairmen of the Premier League, Football Association and Chelsea had not spoken out about the alleged abuse faced by Sterling.
“It has to be dealt with at the top,” Kick It Out chairman Herman Ouseley said. “We do not have any leadership at the top of the game to speak out, they rely on Kick It Out.”
A Chelsea spokesman said: “We’re aware of reports and video footage. We will investigate the matter and take the strongest possible action where necessary.”
The Metropolitan Police said no arrests had been made but they were also looking at the incident.
“We are aware of a video circulating online in which it is claimed racial abuse was allegedly directed at a player at a Chelsea v Manchester City game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, December 8,” the police said in a statement.
“We will review the footage to determine whether any offenses have been committed.”
‘Media coverage fuels racism’: Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling
‘Media coverage fuels racism’: Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling
- Two screenshots were posted on Sterling’s Instagram account highlighting contrasting coverage of young City teammates buying properties
- On Instagram, Sterling only briefly touched on Saturday’s incident at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium when a man appeared to aggressively hurl abuse at him
Al-Hilal widen gap on Al-Nassr ahead of Capital Derby
- Al-Hilal defeat Al-Hazem 3-0 in the opening match of Matchday 14
- Al-Nassr succumb to a 2-1 home defeat against Al-Qadsiah to fall four points behind the league leaders
RIYADH: Just a few weeks ago, Al-Nassr were cruising at the top of the Saudi Pro League. Ten consecutive victories had put Jorge Jesus’ side firmly in control, with momentum building toward the Capital Derby against Al-Hilal on January 12.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the picture has shifted dramatically. Al-Nassr now trail Al-Hilal in the standings, with even a derby victory next week no longer enough to reclaim top spot.
Al-Hilal hosted Al-Hazem in the opening fixture of Matchday 14 at Kingdom Arena, knowing that victory would guarantee a cushion ahead of their Riyadh rivals going into Monday’s showdown.
Simone Inzaghi’s side, after an uneven start to the season that saw them drop points to Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah, have since surged into form. A nine-game winning streak had already put pressure on Al-Nassr, whose own run ended weeks earlier when Georginio Wijnaldum’s brace for Al-Ettifaq halted their perfect start.
Against Al-Hazem, Al-Hilal played with control rather than with urgency. Salem Al-Dawsari returned to the starting XI, but with a congested fixture list, Inzaghi carefully managed his squad.
Al-Hazem offered moments of resistance, but were no match for the Blues on the night. Rúben Neves delivered a sublime long ball from deep to Sergej Milinković-Savić, who headed home the opener in the 29th minute.
Neves then launched the fans off their seats in the 56th minute, unleashing a thunderous strike from outside the box that crashed off the bar and in to double the lead.
Darwin Núñez would seal the win for the league leaders, tapping home Kaio Cesar’s low cross in the 90th minute to secure Al-Hilal’s tenth consecutive victory.
Less than 20 kilometres away at Al-Awwal Park, Al-Nassr welcomed Al-Qadsiah in the weekend’s headliner — a stern test for Brendan Rodgers in his early weeks with the Eastern Province side.
Unlike previous meetings, the first half was relatively subdued. Al-Nassr dropped their usual high press, wary of Julián Quiñones’s threat in behind, and focused on containment. Their attempts to halt the Mexican forward ultimately came undone in the second half.
With goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi pushed high to receive the ball, his clearance fell straight to Quiñones, who scored into an empty net in the 51st minute.
Fifteen minutes later, Quiñones was involved again. Pressuring Aiman Yahya into a turnover, he squared the ball for Mateo Retegui, whose initial effort was saved before Nahitan Nández converted the rebound.
Al-Nassr were handed a lifeline in the 79th minute when a handball inside the Al-Qadsiah box resulted in a penalty, calmly dispatched by Cristiano Ronaldo for his 14th league goal of the season.
Despite a late push, Al-Nassr could not find an equaliser. Ahmed Al-Kassar stood firm in goal as Al-Qadsiah resisted sustained pressure to secure a valuable 2-1 victory.
In the day’s third fixture, Al-Ettifaq nearly let a commanding 4-0 lead slip against last-placed Al-Najma, conceding three goals in the final 20 minutes of the game before holding on for a dramatic 4-3 wn.
Saudi Pro League action resumes on Friday, with Al-Khaleej hosting Damac at 4:10pm, Al-Taawoun facing Al-Shabab at 6:05pm, and Al-Ittihad travelling to Al-Kholood for the evening kick-off at 8:30pm.
