Racism has cast a long shadow over football despite extensive efforts by organisations like FIFA and the FA to eliminate it from the sport.
While abuse from hostile fans is unfortunately not uncommon, instances of racism between players cross an especially troubling line, undermining the respect at the heart of the game.
Unfortunately, on-pitch banter can sometimes devolve into racial insults, compounding the harm done.
One recent example, albeit off-the-pitch, involved Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur, who was handed a seven-match suspension and fined £100,000 ($126,000), per Al Jazeera.
Bentacur was found guilty of making an offensive comment about South Koreans concerning teammate Son Heung-min during a televised appearance.
In light of Bentancur’s actions, Legit.ng via Sportskeeda explores five infamous cases of players banned for racial offences, highlighting some of the sport’s most shameful moments.
5. Emre Belözoğlu
Turkish midfielder Emre Belözoğlu faced multiple accusations of racial abuse during his career, with players like Joseph Yobo, Tim Howard, and Joleon Lescott levelling allegations against him.
While a lack of concrete evidence allowed him to avoid punishment on several occasions, Turkey’s FA imposed a two-match suspension on him for abusive language in 2012.
4. Aleksandar Tonev
Aleksandar Tonev, then on loan from Aston Villa to Celtic, earned notoriety when he was accused of racial abuse by Aberdeen’s Shay Logan during a match in September 2014.
Despite his firm denial, the Scottish FA deemed the accusation credible, issuing him a seven-match ban....Read Full Article [Click Here>]
3. Edwin Cardona
While Colombian international Edwin Cardona did not use offensive language, a discriminatory gesture directed at South Korea’s captain Sung-Yueng Ki during a 2017 international fixture drew widespread condemnation.
FIFA imposed a five-match international ban on Cardona for the incident, emphasising that offensive gestures can be just as damaging as words.
2. Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez’s clash with Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in 2011 remains one of the most high-profile racial abuse cases in English football.
Suarez was accused of using the term “negro” repeatedly towards Evra.
Although the ex-Liverpool star argued that the term carries a different, more casual meaning in his native Spanish, the FA rejected this defence, handing him an eight-match suspension and a £40,000 fine.
1. John Terry
Former Chelsea captain John Terry’s case was especially complex, as he was acquitted of racial abuse charges in court but later found guilty by the FA.
During a match against QPR in 2011, Terry allegedly directed a racial slur at Anton Ferdinand
Video footage appeared to confirm the insult, and while a legal trial found insufficient evidence for a conviction, an FA investigation led to a four-match suspension.
