Patrice Evra speaks out on racist abuse and how to combat it
Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper has been targeted by a number of racist abuse in public and on Twitter over the last two weeks.
The Arsenal Twitter account has been inundated with tweets using offensive terms, such as ‘wanker’, ‘cunt’ and ‘chav’, the latter a derogatory term for the Traveller community.
When asked by the FA about the problem, manager Arsene Wenger said on Wednesday that, “People get a little more angry now because of the games, because the atmosphere for the game is better now.” But while such sentiments of support are understandable, there is a more serious problem to deal with.
It is the racist abuse directed at Evra that is the greatest challenge the club and the whole Football Association are facing.
“It is a reality that we have to deal with, the racism that is happening. It is something I know and understand,” said Evra, as he prepares to join Manchester United for the rest of the season. “Of course it is something that exists, not only for me, but for any footballer. I try and deal with this problem every single day. I read what people [write] about or the things that they write about me and I have to say I have been very open with the media, the media has been very open in giving me all the information, because I am the goalkeeper and it is something that I have to deal with.”
Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper has been targeted by a number of racist abuse in public and on Twitter over the last two weeks.
His manager was also asked the same question, but Wenger said, “People get a little more angry now because of the games, because the atmosphere for the game is better now.”
It was, however, Evra’s response that shocked some, who had suggested he should not be allowed to play. The 35-year-old, who has won eight major trophies with Arsenal, has never shied away from criticising his own club. He criticised the handling of his £150,000 contract offer last July, saying Arsenal needed to win the Premier League to attract a new deal. The first-time Premier League winner was also critical of the club’s summer spending, saying
