Youth Soccer’s Hidden Crisis: Racism Plagues Dutch Fields

Last season, Ibrahim was insulted at least three times. During a match, an opponent told him: "Go back to Morocco." "I was born in the Netherlands. Just like that boy, actually. But he didn’t seem to hear it. After the match, I still held out my hand to him, but he refused. Well, that’s his problem, I’ve been through worse," the player explained to Nos.nl. During another match, a spectator called him a "bike thief." "Apparently just because of my Moroccan origins. Someone older, from whom you would expect more reflection. In those moments, I tell myself: forget it, he’s the pitiful one, not me. But at first, you still feel a bit tainted."

Several of his teammates are also victims of racism on the pitch. Milas, a Turkish-Dutch striker, was called a "dirty foreigner" by an opposing player, in the middle of a match. "From people who are thirty years older than me, I expect something else. The generations before us should be setting the right example," he said, adding that he was not surprised by these reactions. "I’m a boy from southern Rotterdam, I’ve seen it all. Even off the pitch. The other day, after training, I quickly went to the supermarket to do some shopping. Someone called me a ’street junkie’. He should know: I do sports seven times a week, my whole life is about discipline. This man knows nothing about me, but he has his judgment ready, based solely on my appearance."

Another teammate, Jay-Jay, a white Dutchman, was called a "dirty Moroccan" because of his curly hair and brown eyes. The team, led by coach Kevin and his assistant Yusuf, has at least 23 players of diverse origins: white Dutch, but also players of Moroccan, Surinamese, Antillean, Turkish and even Colombian origin. The players acknowledge that there is what Ibtissam, a player from Elinkwijk, calls "discrimination out of frustration." "Sometimes I feel it as soon as I arrive on the pitch for an away game: it’s going to be an unpleasant afternoon. And unfortunately, I’m almost always right. I’m worried about it, given the current political debates. Social tensions seem to be worsening, how long will this continue to deteriorate?" wonders Achmed, a coach at FC Abcoude.

Ryan, playing in the U19s of this club, was the victim of racist insults and came to blows with a player from the opposing team. "We were both suspended for several matches by the KNVB. And I understand: in football, you simply don’t have the right to use your fists, it leads nowhere. Our coaches handled the situation well, I even had a later meeting with the other player - with the parents present." For his part, Kevin, the coach of Alexandria ’66, has recently discussed this with his players. They now intend to take action. The next time one of the players is subjected to racist remarks this season, the entire team will leave the pitch. "Just to make a strong statement."