‘Maybe we are alone’: Jude Bellingham questions whether authorities ‘care’ about racist abuse directed at Black footballers
Aidan Farrell
4 months ago
In the wake of the abuse directed at one of Manchester United’s black players in the FA Cup win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, chief steward Jude Bellingham spoke out about whether the authorities cared about racist abuse during Saturday’s European Championship play-off.
‘We obviously have to make sure we have a proper programme in place. I think we do,’ said Bellingham after United’s 3-2 loss to Portugal on Wednesday night.
‘Obviously with the match on this night we might not have a lot of information that would make things easier.’
While the FA is aware of the abuse directed towards Marcus Rashford, Bellingham says he understands that racism has been a part of football for years.
Rashford was targeted after he challenged Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko, who scored his fifth goal of the tournament after taking advantage of Rashford’s poor defending.
Bellingham said: ‘I totally understand why Marcus was targeted for that challenge.
‘It is the fact everyone knows the game is a very racist game so it is always going to be there.
‘But at the same time it is also a game that has racism embedded in it.
‘He’s playing under a high profile manager in Jose Mourinho, that was something that got people’s attention.
‘I think we have to be realistic about it and accept that people like Marcus are being targeted, but we have to make sure we do better in the system.’
Belfading also said he has been contacted by numerous supporters who have been subjected to racism.
‘It happens like clockwork,’ he admitted. ‘There are people who have not got the courage to go to the police. I don’t know how people have got away with that.’
At a time when he was trying to improve the