Sjöstedt: Move the European Championships after the new scandal
SWEDEN COUNTRY TEAM IN FOOTBALL
Sunday 16 November 2019
(Software translation from Swedish)
Alexander Isak, suffered racist chants during Friday's qualifying match against Romania.
After several previous incidents at the National Arena, voices are raised that the hosting of matches should be moved from Bucharest, in the European Championships 2020.
I think it is reasonable for upcoming matches to be moved to another country,
says the Left Party leader
Jonas Sjöstedt.
I don't know how hard to punish them. But they have been given their chances,
says
Mikael Lustig.
Sweden defeated Romania 2-0 during Saturday night, and is ready for the European Cup finals this summer. During the night to Sunday, the Swedish players celebrated together in Bucharest that the European ticket was secured.
The aftermath has also been about the racist blunder that was directed from parts of the Romanian audience, towards Alexander Isak.
This is what we knew could happen and what we had prepared for. It is incredibly sad that you have to be prepared for it. But it happened. It's a shame. It was partly monkey sounds, but also several different racist chants,
said Isaac after the match.
Isak addressed the incident from the crowd to Italian referee
Daniele Orsato, who chose to cancel to stop the match for a few minutes. Both during and after the match, Alexander Isak was supported by his teammates.
It's incredibly regrettable. What to say? It should not happen. You get sad and it hurts your heart. I wanted to support Isaac and make him understand that it's not okay. He was strong who said, that's what is incredibly important,
said
Emil Forsberg.
The support for Alexander Isaac after the racist attack
Team captain
Andreas Granqvist told us that the referee had been able to cancel the match altogether after the incident - but that Isaac stopped him.
At first it was blown off, and then it was very close that it was a canceled match. But Isak wanted us to play the game clearly, to celebrate with the fans. He is an incredibly strong person, especially considering his age,
says Granqvist.
On Saturday, Isak was also supported by his club team Real Sociedad, which publishes a press release on its website.
Real Sociedad wants to strongly condemn, the racist attacks that Alexander Isak was exposed to during the match between Romania and Sweden yesterday,
they write.
Club President
Jokin Aperribay:
Football, sports and life must exist to unite supporters, cultures and people. Real Sociedad will continue to work that way with its people and its environment to achieve a society that is becoming more healthy, respectful and in line with our core values,
he says.
Several previous punishments by Uefa
The Romanian Football Association has a history of being punished by Uefa for racist chants at the stands, in connection with national team matches.
Last year, Uefa judged that the Romanian supporters sang derogatory songs about Hungarians and Albanians in connection with the meeting with Serbia, where they received heavy fines.
During this autumn's matches against Malta and Spain - among other things - racist chants have been shouted from the Romanian supporters against Hungarians. As a result, Uefa punished the Romanian national team by playing the European qualifier against Norway in front of empty stands.
A third incident reported to Uefa is now awaited after the meeting with Sweden.
I had contact with the match delegate on a couple of occasions during and also after the match. This is one of the most important points of the match delegate to report. I am quite sure, that this will be included in the report. Then it is up to the authorities to make the punishment that is appropriate,
says Swedish Football Association chairman Karl-
Erik Nilsson to
SportExpressen.
Now questions are being raised, whether Bucharest is a suitable playing field for this summer's European playoffs.
For the first time ever, the European Cup finals are decided in twelve different cities in Europe, where the National Arena in Bucharest hosts. Emil Forsberg was split on the issue, after yesterday's match.
It's hard for me to answer. That is what, Uefa has to answer. But there has happened a lot of [deleted] here, and they have received 20 reports or something about racism on this arena and it feels strange that they have chosen this arena. So Uefa, has to answer that. But it feels awkward,
Forsberg said yesterday.
Jonas Sjöstedt: "Totally unacceptable"
The Swedish Football Association chairman, as well as Uefa's vice-president, Karl-Erik Nilsson, were on site in Bucharest yesterday and reacted over the events.
That kind of behavior is unacceptable and distressing. There is no defense for that,
he says.
The Romanian federation was punished for racist incidents at the National Arena last year, and also earlier this year. Do you think it is appropriate, for the same arena to host the European Cup finals next summer?
If you look at the isolated incident around Alexander Isak, it does not feel good. If you look at it from a longer perspective, the Romanian federation has turned their work around and invested heavily in wide football and has also worked hard with its fans. In a larger perspective, I think they were worthy of this championship. They have had to deal with this type of racist case in the past, but it has been geopolitical in nature and related to a conflict between Romania and Hungary. I think and hope that the crowd that will be at the European Championships next summer will be a different type of crowd, than the type of crowd that was at the match yesterday.
Jonas Sjöstedt, party leader in the Left Party, wants to go further and thinks it is reasonable to move the playoffs.
To expose players to racism from the audience, is completely unacceptable. Uefa must show, that they take these types of events seriously and hand out tangible punishments. I think it is reasonable for upcoming matches to be moved to another country,
says Sjöstedt.
Lustig: "It will surely happen again"
When
SportExpress meets
Mikael Lustig the day after the incident, he - like Emil Forsberg - is split but also clearly critical.
It has happened before, it happened now and it will surely happen again. Then it's a click that behaves extremely poorly. I don't know how hard to punish them. But they have been given their chances. I hope it gets better in the future,
he says.
Andreas Granqvist:
It is Uefa that has decided which arenas will have championships, so there is not much I can influence. But as I've said, I think it's awful. You get sad and mad and think it shouldn't happen. It has happened before, but it is not certain Romania will play there as they are not qualified. Then there will be some other conditions. We can only follow the regulations and support Isak to 100 percent.
Stockholm applied for European Championship matches, but did not get it. Does it get particularly sour when Bucharest gets it instead, when there is racism there over and over?
Sure it does! It was hoped that Friends arena in Stockholm would get it, but we are not the ones to decide. It is Uefa that does.
__________
_____________________
STATEMENT FROM REAL SOCIEDAD:
STOPRACISM
Official statement
11/16/2019
The Royal Sociedad wants to strongly condemn the racist chants suffered yesterday by Alex Isak, during the match between the teams of Romania and Sweden. The Txuri Urdin club deeply regrets, that such attitudes of past times are still being produced and should be completely forgotten.
President
Jokin Aperribay, also wants to express his most absolute rejection of what happened last night:
Football, sports and life must serve to unite hobbies, cultures and people, and in that way the Real will continue to work with its people and its surroundings to achieve an increasingly healthy society, respectful and with the values consistent with our time.
