When England's Bukayo Saka took his penalty in the Euro 2020 final, what followed wasn't just another chapter of the country's tale of soccer heartbreak, but also a grim echo of what its Black stars have endured for decades. (1/4) #NBCNewsThreads nbcnews.to/2W5qyXz
After he missed the decisive kick, 19-year-old Saka's social media timeline was flooded racial abuse.
"I knew instantly the kind of hate I was about to receive," he said, adding, "There is no place for racism or hate of any kind in football or any area of society." (2/4)
"I knew instantly the kind of hate I was about to receive," he said, adding, "There is no place for racism or hate of any kind in football or any area of society." (2/4)
Saka's defiant response is firmly rooted in soccer's past.
Emerging as society's leading voices demanding change, experts say that Saka and his England teammates continue another storied soccer tradition: using the game's unique position as a conduit for racial discussion. (3/4)
Emerging as society's leading voices demanding change, experts say that Saka and his England teammates continue another storied soccer tradition: using the game's unique position as a conduit for racial discussion. (3/4)
One expert says there's an irony that debate on race in Britain is via soccer.
"It's probably the sphere of our society that has been most organized in challenging racism, partly because it was associated with the most vocal, extreme racism in the '70s and '80s." (4/4)
"It's probably the sphere of our society that has been most organized in challenging racism, partly because it was associated with the most vocal, extreme racism in the '70s and '80s." (4/4)
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