Euro 2012: Dutch soccer team targeted with racist chant
Fans cheer on the Czech Republic during the EURO 2012 Qualifier. More recently, fans at a practice event were heard making racist chants at the Holland soccer team.
A racism controversy hit the Euro 2012 after the black players from the Holland squad reported hearing monkey chants coming from the crowd during an open practice session on Friday.
The Union of European Football Associations said in a statement that they are aware that there were some "isolated" incidents of racist chanting.
"Open your ears. If you did hear it, and don't want to hear it, that is even worse,” Netherlands captain Mark van Bommel told Dutch reporters on Thursday, according to Reuters.
The Dutch federation has not filed any formal complaints with the UEFA.
GlobalPost also reported on the Euro2012's problems with racism, when it was revealed that images of "skin-headed extremists" are being used by the media to warn of terrible abuse awaiting non-white fans for the championship, one of soccer’s biggest events.
More from GlobalPost: Skin-heads, rage, and Euro 2012 soccer
GlobalPost Reporter Barry Neild also cited that racism in the sport is nothing new. He noted the BBC recently aired a documentary titled “Stadiums of Hate” — in which Ukrainian and Polish fans were depicted giving Nazi salutes, assaulting Asian supporters and attacking and making monkey noises at players of African origin.
The Holland squad responded to the racist chants by moving their training drills to the other side of the ground, according to the Guardian.
"It is a real disgrace especially after getting back from Auschwitz [the Dutch squad had visited the concentration camp on Wednesday] that you are confronted with this. We will take it up with UEFA and if it happens at a match we will talk to the referee and ask him to take us off the field," van Bommel told the Guardian.