“Catching Hate Offside” is an analysis of the most prominent racist incidents in the history of football and, at the same time, a tribute to the great stars who have taken up arms; it is a collection of ambassadors for diversity and equality. This is a selection of football players, managers, referees, directors and renowned journalists with a person per letter.
While the project had humble beginnings in a small corner of south-east Spain (Almería), it is certainly ambitious in spirit. It aims to move readers anywhere in the world, thanks to both the Spanish and English versions. The first black professional footballer, one of the pioneers in ‘coming out’, the first president to lead a crusade against hooligans, the first head coach to fight anti-Semitism,…
This is a book that documents incidents and also inspires hope at the same time. The high profile individuals have won over the fans’ hearts, but they have also experienced the dark side; they are victims of the ugly face of sport and society in general. In 2019, there was a resurgence in England and Italy. Racial abuse has become a dangerous trend which we cannot allow to turn into an endemic problem.
Do we know about the real impact of discrimination in football? Firstly, we must admit there is a problem; secondly, discover the true extent of it; and thirdly, provide solutions.
Those of us who have been denouncing the harmful aspects of football for years sometimes feel like Don Quixote tilting at windmills, but absolutely nobody is going to slow down our educational contribution to tackling any attacks on human dignity.