See how Rangers fans react to Sparta’s non-punishment

No disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against Sparta Prague, UEFA has announced. The island fans, and especially the Rangers fans, bear this statement with great displeasure.

Glen Kamara was booed every time he touched the ball in the Europa League match against Sparta. Only children under the age of 14 were allowed to watch the match at Letná because Sparta had already been punished for racist insults by fans against their opponents.

Kamara was in the starting line-up for the match against Sparta. The fans who came to the match booed and booed every time he was on the ball. But since when is booing and whistling a sign of racism?

Kamara, his lawyer, Steven Gerrard and the entire Rangers team thought it was racist speech and so wanted the whole incident to be reviewed. They demanded that Sparta be punished. UEFA came up with the claim that there was no evidence of racist behaviour by the children who attended the match.

Island fans, and especially Rangers fans, took this statement by UEFA very hard. They used their freedom of expression on social media to vent their emotions to the world. Most of the comments you would now find under posts regarding the statement from UEFA will be full of profanity.

In addition to the swearing, you may read that it is corruption. UEFA’s investigation is said to have been unfair and very hasty. So any booing should be punished. It is a bad joke and so on.

But we cannot lump everyone together. There are those who respect the decision. Some island fans even defend the Spartan children because they understand that booing cannot be a sign of racism. But these are in the minority. Take a look at some of the fans’ statements for yourself.

Unpleasant relations between Czech and island fans arose in the spring part of last season when Slavia Prague played against Rangers. In that match there was an incident when Ondřej Kúdela verbally attacked Glen Kamara.

This incident was deemed a racist attack by UEFA and Ondřej Kúdela was given a ten-match ban. This time, however, there was no punishment.

Sources used