Guardian: Monkey chants aimed at Dutch squad in Krakow. Captain Van Bommel anger as Uefa denies racial motivation
Holland’s Mark van Bommel is thought to be unhappy about Uefa’s response to racist abuse at his team’s training camp.
Euro 2012 was plunged into its first racism controversy after the black players in the Holland squad were subjected to monkey chants during an open practice session in the same city where England will also invite the public to watch them train on Friday.
Several hundred people targeted players such as Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel when 25,000 spectators attended the Dutch practice session at the Stadion Miejski, the home of Wisla Krakow.
The players, on the instructions of the captain, Mark van Bommel, responded by moving their training drills to the other side of the ground. “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,” Van Bommel said. “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.” Read full story and see the video athttp://www.guardian.co.uk
UPDATE (H/T Madnews): UEFA has acknowledged that the Dutch players were racially abused during the training session and promise to crackdown on racism. Read the full story at www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Video: Sol Campbell warns black and Asian football fans not go to Euro 2012 – Ukraine
