"TOO MANY BLACKS IN THE UNDER-20 RANKS'

[Al B Sure]

Platini's parents were Italians

[Gotti]

I know many people will construe what he said as racist, but there is a lot of merrit to what he is saying, although it is a fine line at times.

What point is there of world football, if national teams resemble club teams, and there is not much to differentiate each team.

Would u all care if Nigeria had a whole bunch of Oyinbos on the team. I mean there are many on here who don't even want an Oyinbo coach talk less of players.

So if Ariggo Sachi is a racist, then many on this forum are also racists.

There's absolutely NO MERIT to his racist babble...
National teams are drawn from the national population, and as national demographics change so should ideally NTs.

Btw, many of us are against FOREIGN coaches (not that WOWO would grasp the distinction) primarily because (as have been emphasized several times) the colonized donderheads at the Glasshouse pre-emptely proffer a more lucrative contract and better conditions for a "foreign coach" (that is, before even identifying individual foreigners to pursue) than to indigenous coaches - for doing the same job (and often performing worse than their indigenous counterparts) to great applause from WOWOs (and I am well aware that WOWOs will blame the victims that are ICs for accepting poorer contracts, as if they would be offered an alternative).

As I have often said, Nigerians come in all colors and hues (including naturalized Nigerians) and any NIGERIAN of whatever ancestry or progeny (whether Lebanese, Indian, Polish or even English) are as deserving of an opportunity to suit up in Nigerian colors or even coach the national team. On the other hand, when a FOREIGN coach like the t-shirt peddling Betty actually insists that it be written into his multi-year contract that he will NOT suffer the apparent indignity of having to reside in Nigeria at all (which is slightly substantive different from Mr. Lagerback only feeling compelled to spend a few days in Nigeria in exchange for a $2 million pension and a African Safari to boot), that should be a collective INSULT to any rationallly-thinking Nigerian. That it is not so to some of you WOWOs is way beyond befuddlement. SMDH@

[Gotti]

The play for their COUNTRY, not their RACE! Nationality is not and should not be determined by the colour of your skin, don't you think?

[Damunk]

If this is the issue that is holding the Azzurri back why have Italy sucked fat donkey balls at last 2 Word cups....

Sad how every time a former powerhouse has an era of mediocrity i.e France, England, Italy, Spain, Germany..the race card is played ASAP.

When was this?

Every time England flop there are mass calls to ban foreign players from the PL in order to give more chances to English kids. The gas bags forget that from 68 to well into early 2000s the game was predominantly British.

TG that is such an exaggeration! "Mass calls"?
What about the riots and arson?

The reality is that the issue comes up from time to time and there are just as many - if not more people - against it than for it.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

The play for their COUNTRY, not their RACE! Nationality is not and should not be determined by the colour of your skin, don't you think?

you guys are too many jo

[juventuss]

I hope FIFA ban this guy for life. Such statements should be taken with the same level of contempt anti-semitic comments are taken. This is a racist comment and he should be severely punished.

[wiseone]

A few years ago Laurent Blanc said exactly the same thing as Saachi:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blo ... row-french

[juventuss]

If the statement were changed to "too many Jews in the U-20 Ranks"
What would the reaction be ?

[Coach]

^was just about to post the same....Fact is, he can say it because blacks have allowed the world to see them as the global stress ball. Black this, black that, why, because the consummate coward offers nothing but the more diligent servitude in retaliation. A penny atop each their heads. Blacks are brought and sold ad much today as they were in years past, for the right pitch of jingle and shimmer of coin, they'd endure all manner of inferiority. Next up Paul Ince to talk about his sharing a 12 inch quatro fomaggio with Sacchi on a midsummer's afternoon.

[Catalyst]

Please before we crucify coach Arrigo Sacchi (for those who are offended by this attributed remark). Can we do an inward look first to see if we are not similar?

Please cast the first stone if:

- ....If you will - with open hands - welcome a man or woman not from your village, ethnic group, race, status, creed, etc come to marry your child?

- You will cheer/support the team with same fervor if one of your beloved sports teams (lets say one of Eagles or Eaglets teams) was made up of only Ijaw or Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba players?

- If the church/temple/chapel/synagogue/mosque you attend is not dominated by one group of people at the top of the hierarchy? And you know this but have not done anything about it.

- If you are a business owner, and your staff's composition does not predominantly reflect your ethnic/racial background

- If your circle of friends is diverse (along race/ethnic/skin color/status lines).

etc (including politics, and more)
I bring these things up to help us to cast our stones without regard for the faults we also haul around within our members.

[anointed]

If this is the issue that is holding the Azzurri back why have Italy sucked fat donkey balls at last 2 Word cups....

Sad how every time a former powerhouse has an era of mediocrity i.e France, England, Italy, Spain, Germany..the race card is played ASAP.

When was this?

I think he is referring to the commonly held opinion that EPL clubs don't develop any players themselves, because they rather sign finished products from foreign countries.

In regards to Germany, the race card was not played in Germany. Would not make sense as hardly any-non biological Germans played for Germany. In fact, Germany shamefully persuaded Sean Dundee (South African) and Paulo Rink (Brazil) to play for Germany.

May be I don't understand you Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Jerome Boateng, Gerald Asamoah, Mehmet Scholl and probably some others come to mind. Not sure of Ozil I guess, he has Turkish parents. Asamoah has Ghanaian parents. Others have foreign fathers. May be you should define what you mean by that term.

[ANC]

take the tree out of your eyes before calling Arigo Sacchi racist.

[Waffiman]

'Too many blacks' in under-20 ranks, says Sacchi - report

by AFP
http://africanfootball.com/news/510909/ ... chi-report
Tuesday Feb 17, 2015. 04:00

Former AC Milan and Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi has hit out at Italy's youth set-up by claiming it features 'too many blacks' and 'too many foreigners'. Sacchi, a renowned football coach and innovator who notably helped Milan to back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and 1990, was speaking at an awards ceremony in Montecatini Terme on Monday evening.

According to a website report on La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 68-year-old Sacchi used the occasion to hit out at the number of non-native Italians involved in the lower ranks of Italian football. "Italy now has no dignity or pride, because we have too many foreigners playing in the under-20 leagues: in our youth sectors there are too many blacks," said Sacchi, a former director of Italy's national team at under-21 level.

Sacchi claimed he was not racist because he signed a player like Frank Rijkaard, a Dutchman of Surinamese origin.

But he insisted that 'too many coloured players' featured for Italian youth sides at the famous Viareggio tournament, known in footballing circles as the Viareggio Cup World Football Tournament. "I'm certainly not racist, as my coaching history demonstrates with Rijkaard," added Sacchi.
"But look at the Viareggio tournament. I would say that there are too many coloured players, also in the under-20 teams in Italy. When asked to clarify his remarks, Sacchi claims he had been misinterpreted. "I've been misinterpreted, you think I'm really racist? All I said was I saw a game featuring a team who fielded four coloured players," he added.

"My history speaks for itself, I've always coached teams with great players from every colour and I've brought in a lot, whether to Milan or (Real) Madrid.

"I only wanted to underline that we are losing our national pride and identity."

You sir are a racist,senile,bigotted fool! You confirmed that with that cliche statement of signing Gullit and Rhykaard. He calls these young Italians foreigners...that is stretching his racism beyong contention, are they Italians or not? If i may ask what did he learn from signing the blacks he parades on his sleeves, were they good enough, were they humans, or some dark objects who kick the ball around.
One would have thought the greatest lesson to be learnt from the exercise is one which says black or white ,we all breathe the same air amd they added value to his team.

This is where the disease of racism overcomes racist fools like this, their bigotry blinds them to the ability and the diversity of having people from diverse background. To them it is always ok until a certain line is crossed. If he feels more white Italians are not coming through he should be seeking to find out why instead of hissing around like a rattlesnake.

God bless you my brother.

[juventuss]

Please before we crucify coach Arrigo Sacchi (for those who are offended by this attributed remark). Can we do an inward look first to see if we are not similar?

Please cast the first stone if:

- ....If you will - with open hands - welcome a man or woman not from your village, ethnic group, race, status, creed, etc come to marry your child?

- You will cheer/support the team with same fervor if one of your beloved sports teams (lets say one of Eagles or Eaglets teams) was made up of only Ijaw or Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba players?

- If the church/temple/chapel/synagogue/mosque you attend is not dominated by one group of people at the top of the hierarchy? And you know this but have not done anything about it.

- If you are a business owner, and your staff's composition does not predominantly reflect your ethnic/racial background

- If your circle of friends is diverse (along race/ethnic/skin color/status lines).

etc (including politics, and more)
I bring these things up to help us to cast our stones without regard for the faults we also haul around within our members.

Catalyst,
I disagree with how you are trying to equate them. These kids ARE Italian. Balotelli IS Italian. That is the only country he knows. He is trying to discriminate against his own country men SOLEY because they look differently.

[Catalyst]

Please before we crucify coach Arrigo Sacchi (for those who are offended by this attributed remark). Can we do an inward look first to see if we are not similar?

Please cast the first stone if:

- ....If you will - with open hands - welcome a man or woman not from your village, ethnic group, race, status, creed, etc come to marry your child?

- You will cheer/support the team with same fervor if one of your beloved sports teams (lets say one of Eagles or Eaglets teams) was made up of only Ijaw or Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba players?

- If the church/temple/chapel/synagogue/mosque you attend is not dominated by one group of people at the top of the hierarchy? And you know this but have not done anything about it.

- If you are a business owner, and your staff's composition does not predominantly reflect your ethnic/racial background

- If your circle of friends is diverse (along race/ethnic/skin color/status lines).

etc (including politics, and more)
I bring these things up to help us to cast our stones without regard for the faults we also haul around within our members.

Catalyst,
I disagree with how you are trying to equate them. These kids ARE Italian. Balotelli IS Italian. That is the only country he knows. He is trying to discriminate against his own country men SOLEY because they look differently.

How is this different?

I do not see how this discrimination is different from the scenarios I highlighted? Please help me see the folly of my ways. Thanks.

[Waffiman]

Please before we crucify coach Arrigo Sacchi (for those who are offended by this attributed remark). Can we do an inward look first to see if we are not similar?

Please cast the first stone if:

- ....If you will - with open hands - welcome a man or woman not from your village, ethnic group, race, status, creed, etc come to marry your child?

- You will cheer/support the team with same fervor if one of your beloved sports teams (lets say one of Eagles or Eaglets teams) was made up of only Ijaw or Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba players?

- If the church/temple/chapel/synagogue/mosque you attend is not dominated by one group of people at the top of the hierarchy? And you know this but have not done anything about it.

- If you are a business owner, and your staff's composition does not predominantly reflect your ethnic/racial background

- If your circle of friends is diverse (along race/ethnic/skin color/status lines). etc (including politics, and more)

I bring these things up to help us to cast our stones without regard for the faults we also haul around within our members.

If you will - with open hands - welcome a man or woman not from your village, ethnic group, race, status, creed, etc come to marry your child?

Yes. The choice is not mine, it is for my child and so far as they are happy, that's all that matters. Nothing else matters.

You will cheer/support the team with same fervor if one of your beloved sports teams (lets say one of Eagles or Eaglets teams) was made up of only Ijaw or Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba players?

Yes. Why not? They are Nigerian.

If the church/temple/chapel/synagogue/mosque you attend is not dominated by one group of people at the top of the hierarchy? And you know this but have not done anything about it.

Why should this matter? Why would I go to the house of worship and be bothered by the ethnicity of those at the top? So long as they are not bigoted I do not care.

If you are a business owner, and your staff's composition does not predominantly reflect your ethnic/racial background

Why should my staff reflect my ethnicity? I am only interested in those who are professional performing professionally. I don't care about their

If your circle of friends is diverse (along race/ethnic/skin color/status lines). etc (including politics, and more)

My circle is truly diverse along the lines you mention above and more.

But my brother, you do not even need to pass the test above to show you are not bigoted or racist. Many people are not even thinking about such things because their minds are open and it does not matter who they interact with with.

Sacchi is just plain vile. These kids are Italian and their presence is not a sign Italy is losing its identity. I remember the vile racist Le Pen of the racist National Front party of France saying this http://www.theguardian.com/football/200 ... 006.sport3 a few years back. Okay, Sacchi is less extreme than Le Pen but the basic comments are similar.

I have observed with racist swines like Sacchi, it is always a case of 'identity being lost' as opposed to 'identity being changed' as if identity has ever been a constant. In their racist world and mindset, 'the way they see identity is set to their own standards which everyone must conform to. But culture and identity has never been constant, it becomes a problem when it involves those they see as foreigners.

The good thing is there is something of the King Canute about people who make such comments. In the long term at least they tend to be irrelevant.

[kofi86]

If this is the issue that is holding the Azzurri back why have Italy sucked fat donkey balls at last 2 Word cups....

Sad how every time a former powerhouse has an era of mediocrity i.e France, England, Italy, Spain, Germany..the race card is played ASAP.

When was this?

I think he is referring to the commonly held opinion that EPL clubs don't develop any players themselves, because they rather sign finished products from foreign countries.

In regards to Germany, the race card was not played in Germany. Would not make sense as hardly any-non biological Germans played for Germany. In fact, Germany shamefully persuaded Sean Dundee (South African) and Paulo Rink (Brazil) to play for Germany.

May be I don't understand you Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Jerome Boateng, Gerald Asamoah, Mehmet Scholl and probably some others come to mind. Not sure of Ozil I guess, he has Turkish parents. Asamoah has Ghanaian parents. Others have foreign fathers. May be you should define what you mean by that term.

I was referring to the time when Germany sucked, 1998-2004.

[juventuss]

Please before we crucify coach Arrigo Sacchi (for those who are offended by this attributed remark). Can we do an inward look first to see if we are not similar?

Please cast the first stone if:

- ....If you will - with open hands - welcome a man or woman not from your village, ethnic group, race, status, creed, etc come to marry your child?

- You will cheer/support the team with same fervor if one of your beloved sports teams (lets say one of Eagles or Eaglets teams) was made up of only Ijaw or Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba players?

- If the church/temple/chapel/synagogue/mosque you attend is not dominated by one group of people at the top of the hierarchy? And you know this but have not done anything about it.

- If you are a business owner, and your staff's composition does not predominantly reflect your ethnic/racial background

- If your circle of friends is diverse (along race/ethnic/skin color/status lines).

etc (including politics, and more)
I bring these things up to help us to cast our stones without regard for the faults we also haul around within our members.

Catalyst,
I disagree with how you are trying to equate them. These kids ARE Italian. Balotelli IS Italian. That is the only country he knows. He is trying to discriminate against his own country men SOLEY because they look differently.

How is this different?

I do not see how this discrimination is different from the scenarios I highlighted? Please help me see the folly of my ways. Thanks.

Because these kids have EVERY right as Arrigo does. He is wanting to discriminate against them. He is choosing to discriminate against them. That is the most fundamental piece here. He is wanting to deny them their basic rights because of the color of their skin.

[kofi86]

Please before we crucify coach Arrigo Sacchi (for those who are offended by this attributed remark). Can we do an inward look first to see if we are not similar?

Please cast the first stone if:

- ....If you will - with open hands - welcome a man or woman not from your village, ethnic group, race, status, creed, etc come to marry your child?

A different race, status, religion etc will affect the relationship of two people. Some problems might arise from that. I don't see how the colour of a player's skin affects the team's performance. Also it is not about preferring a man/woman from the same village etc, and refusing a man/woman because she comes from a particular village

- You will cheer/support the team with same fervor if one of your beloved sports teams (lets say one of Eagles or Eaglets teams) was made up of only Ijaw or Hausa or Igbo or Yoruba players?

Different scenario as no Italian team is made up of only blacks and nobody Sacchi did not complain about a team being made up of only blacks. I checked AC Milan's and Juventus' primavera teams. AC Milan has one black player, Juventus 3

- If the church/temple/chapel/synagogue/mosque you attend is not dominated by one group of people at the top of the hierarchy? And you know this but have not done anything about it.

See above. Also the your statements sound to me like the domination of the particular group is based on their ethnicity. Obviously that would not be the case for football.

- If you are a business owner, and your staff's composition does not predominantly reflect your ethnic/racial background

If the background is important for the business, it should reflect that. Otherwise it should not and a business owner would be hurting his business by choosing race over qualification.

- If your circle of friends is diverse (along race/ethnic/skin color/status lines).

Different scenario again as a friendship might be based on lots of things, similar lifestyles, interests etc. A football team should consists of the best available players (one might make a case for a preference of local players though). Also it is one thing to say that I prefer to hang out with friends who have the same background as I do and another thing to say that I do not want to hang out with a particular group of people because of their looks

etc (including politics, and more)
I bring these things up to help us to cast our stones without regard for the faults we also haul around within our members.

Catalyst,
I disagree with how you are trying to equate them. These kids ARE Italian. Balotelli IS Italian. That is the only country he knows. He is trying to discriminate against his own country men SOLEY because they look differently.

How is this different?

I do not see how this discrimination is different from the scenarios I highlighted? Please help me see the folly of my ways. Thanks.

I explained why each scenario is different. The main point is not that Sacchi complained about the lack of Italian players, but that he explicitly mentioned black players. This implies that the likes of Camoranesi or Motta are not as "bad" as Balotelli or Ogbonna or Shaqiri and Podolski are not as "bad" as Doumbia and Gervinho.

[juventuss]

I explained why each scenario is different. The main point is not that Sacchi complained about the lack of Italian players, but that he explicitly mentioned black players. This implies that the likes of Camoranesi or Motta are not as "bad" as Balotelli or Ogbonna or Shaqiri and Podolski are not as "bad" as Doumbia and Gervinho.

KPOM

[benteke]

I agree with him. if Africa is ever going to win the wc we need these boys playing for their native countries in Africa. what good is it if Nigeria plays Italy and half the Italian players are from Congo or GHANA? Mr Sachi might be a racist but this is not a good reason why he's a racist.

A GHANA frontline of Balotelli and Gyan would do a lot better than what the BS have now. Put pogba on CIV Mf,or wherever he's from and you have an entire different team. If nigeria had the boy oshogbo guy that plays for Austria maybe our LB position would be even more solid. Hat about Benteke for Congo?? the list goes on...

You don't win by trying to get along with everybody.

I agree

I know many people will construe what he said as racist, but there is a lot of merrit to what he is saying, although it is a fine line at times.

What point is there of world football, if national teams resemble club teams, and there is not much to differentiate each team.

Would u all care if Nigeria had a whole bunch of Oyinbos on the team. I mean there are many on here who don't even want an Oyinbo coach talk less of players.

So if Ariggo Sachi is a racist, then many on this forum are also racists.

On the other hand if a country has a large immigrant community, then that demographic should be involved proportionally. If France has a lot of Algerian and Senegalese immigrants, then it shouldn't be out of order for them to be a part of the team. Same thing with the Turks in Germany.

It however is a problem when there is not a significant immigrant population within a country, yet that countries national team is full of these players. FIFA should also clamp down on the mercenary types. Usually the Brazilians who all end up playing for any country under the sun.

KPOM. We have to draw the line somewhere. Yo have cases like Diego Costa, Pepe etc who were all born elsewher and grew up elsewhere but play for othe countries on the basis of a piece of paper. It takes more than a passport to be Brazilian, Italian, Nigerian or whatever

samora you remind me of Kachere and his "Kachere Model"
Right now he would be all over this story and fighting Sacchis corner, also fuelled by his love for Serie A

whilst Sacchis comments are obviously offensive, but you can see what he is saying is most likely what most white Italians are thinking, i imagine they will never see Balotelli as Italian or that 17yr old Joseph Minala for that matter.

These boys must just come home and leave white Italians to their devices, after all Fifa makes this quite easy for all.

[anikulapo]

Look at these hypocrites ... if Naija U-20 teams were populated by Indians, white people or Hispanics or even worse Ghanaians only God knows what some of una or una Papa's go talk ...

[Jimi]

Your flawed and precarious reasoning begs the definition of what a "native" is?

I agree with him. if Africa is ever going to win the wc we need these boys playing for their native countries in Africa. what good is it if Nigeria plays Italy and half the Italian players are from Congo or GHANA? Mr Sachi might be a racist but this is not a good reason why he's a racist.

A GHANA frontline of Balotelli and Gyan would do a lot better than what the BS have now. Put pogba on CIV Mf,or wherever he's from and you have an entire different team. If nigeria had the boy oshogbo guy that plays for Austria maybe our LB position would be even more solid. Hat about Benteke for Congo?? the list goes on...

You don't win by trying to get along with everybody.