Mumbai: 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup golden boot winner Rhian Brewster whose back-to-back hat-tricks in the quarter-finals and semi-finals helped England to their first World Cup glory in the last 51 years, alleged of racial abuse by one of the Spanish Players during the final match in Kolkata.
Just days after allegedly blaming Spartak Moscow captain Leonid Mironov of racist remarks towards him, the Liverpool youth product added that one of his teammate, Morgan Gibbs-White of Wolverhampton Wanderers, was called “monkey” by a Spanish player during the final.
“Something happened in the box. As Morgan was running away, he [a Spain player] has called him a monkey. It was a goal-kick and I was getting into position. ‘Morgan,’ I said, ‘did you hear that?’ He said: ‘Yeah, yeah, I thought I was the only one,” said the 17-year-old in an interview with The Guardian.
Saddened by such remarks from fellow professionals, Brewster spoke of the effects such things have on a young lad like him. “On the day it happens, that night my head won’t be there. I just want to be left alone,” he said. “I want to be by myself and left to think. The next day I’ll still be thinking about it.”
Subject to such abuses several times in his progressing career, the young striker let his heart out when he said UEFA “don’t really care” about racism. While such a statement may be highly controversial it can never mean more than from someone who says he has already faced racist remarks atleast seven times this year.
“I don’t think UEFA take this thing seriously. They don’t really care. That is how it feels anyway, like it has been brushed under the carpet,” added the teenager.
As per the UEFA rules any player found guilty of making any racial slurs can be suspended for a minimum of 10 matches. But Sparta Moscow captain Mironov denied such comments made by him winner at Brewster or any other player.
The English Football Association (FA) have made an official complaint to both FIFA and UEFA regarding such actions however no actions have been taken as of now.
But Brewster who is severely hurt by such instances of racism, expressed fears of having to deal with it regularly and wished it was never this way in football.
“I love the game. I’m never going to stop loving it. It’s just disappointing to know it’s still in the game. If it wasn’t in the game, it would be so much better. You wouldn’t have to worry about playing abroad, worrying about what the fans are going to say, or what another player is going to say. I wouldn’t have to worry that if I score they are going to call me all types of names,” concluded the Liverpool sensation yet to make his senior club debut.