After reiterating that racism has no place in football, the PFA has moved to issue a list of slurs deemed acceptable when referring to Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra.
The French international is again at the centre of a controversy over alleged racial abuse by Liverpool’s Louis Suarez, with the PFA now moving to ensure that he is abused only for those character traits over which he has some control.
“The colour of his skin is completely irrelevant,” said a PFA spokesperson. “The verbal abuse he receives on the pitch should focus only on things like his history of dissent, the way he repeatedly winds up opposition fans, or that thing he does when he pretends to be injured after committing a foul which borders on physical assault.”
“For example, if an opposition player were to use the phrase Odious Prick then that would be perfectly fine, as it’s both accurate, and makes no reference whatsoever to his ethnicity – it could equally be used to describe Joey Barton or Robbie Savage.”
“We’re not averse to Gallic Arsehole either.”
Patrice Evra racism claims
Simon Davies from the Kick Annoying Twats Out Of Football campaign, said he welcomed the stance of the PFA.
He told us, “I have a dream, a dream that one day all of the abuse received by footballers will be based solely their detestable personality traits, and not on the colour of their skin.”
“Hopefully that day is just on the horizon.”
