Czech Soccer Star Suspended for Racist Statements

SK Slavia Prague’s Ondrêj Kúdela is appealing his 10-game suspension for racist statements during a March match (Wikimedia Commons).

The Union of European Football Association (UEFA) placed a 10-game ban on the Czech center-back for the Slavia Prague fútbol club, Ondrêj Kúdela, on April 14. Alleged racist language directed at Glen Kamara, a Finnish soccer player of Sierra Leonean descent, was the cause of Kúdela’s suspension. 

The UEFA found Kúdela guilty of racist conduct according to the allegations made by Kamara and his Glasgow Rangers teammates. The incident took place during a match on March 18, in which Kamara and other Ranger athletes claim that Kúdela called Kamara a “f**king monkey [sic].” Kúdela denies this, arguing that he simply said “f**king guy [sic].” 

Both Kúdela and Kamara are facing consequences for the heated game. The UEFA also issued a three-game suspension to Kamara for allegedly assaulting Kudéla in the tunnel after the game. Kamara’s team has protested the suspension, calling the punishment too “severe.” 

In a match that Prague Morning called “stormy,” UEFA officials suspended Glasgow Rangers player Kemar Roofe for an aggressive move that gave Slavia Prague’s Ondrej Kolar a skull fracture.

While Kamara will be eligible to compete for the Finnish national team in the finals of the European Championship, Kudéla is prohibited from competing for the Czech Republic in the tournament. 

Kamara’s lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said that a 10- game ban, the minimum sentence for racist conduct, is not long enough. The short sentence, according to Anwar, makes a “mockery” of UEFA’s anti-discrimination efforts.

Within the Czech Republic, the UEFA’s ruling has been met with widespread opposition. Czech citizens opposed Kudéla’s punishment on social media, including a group of fans who posted racist slurs against Kamara on the day following the game. 

Vratislav Mynar, a spokesperson for the Czech president, commented on behalf of the Czech government, “You have sentenced a decent man without a single proof… only to fulfill the pervert expectations of a narrow group of activists and of a club unable to win on the pitch.”

Czech media has also criticized the UEFA’s ruling; however, some accuse the local media of perpetuating racism. Coverage of the scandal is emblematic of endemic prejudice in the Czech Republic, according to political scientist Vladimira Dvorakova. Coverage of the scandal by Czech outlets, according to Dvorakova, perpetuated racism by focusing on the word “alleged” and denying any wrongdoing by Kudéla.