Everton Luiz joined Partizan’s Serbian soccer team last year and was recently met with so much racism that he couldn’t contain himself. Luiz, who is Brazilian, was subjected to monkey chants by fans, racist remarks and a racist banner hanging from the stands. The banner was only removed after referees intervened and made the fans take it down.
Though his team beat Rad 1-0, the emotional abuse Luiz endured during the game led the player to flip the middle finger towards Rad fans. In turn, some of the players from the Rad team confronted him and a fight broke out. In tears, Luiz was left the field.
“I couldn’t hold back the tears because I was racially insulted from the stands for 90 minutes,” said Luiz, 28.
Rad supporters are known for their nationalist ultra-right behavior. Because of the fans’ crude behavior, the Serbian Football Association suspended Rad’s stadium in Belgrade until further notice. This means there will be no home games for Rad.
“My family and I feel at home in Serbia and this is why I could not stop the tears after the game,” he said. “I took 90 minutes of racist abuse and other insults from the terraces and thereafter I found myself in a cauldron of emotionless individuals who charged at me when they should have protected me. I want to forget this, refocus on football and urge everyone to say ‘No’ to racism.”
This hasn’t been the first racist soccer scandal involving Serbian fans. In 2012, black players on England’s teams were subjected to racist chants and monkey noises.
