Madrid 2016 Olympic bid haunted by racism
16/10/2008 16:19
Madrid's Olympic bid chief is worrying that another racist incident in
Spanish sports could affect the city's chances of bidding for the 2016
Games.
"The bid is preoccupied about something that can affect us," Madrid
2016 bid chief Mercedes Coghen said yesterday.
Coghen was reacting to UEFA's
decision Tuesday to order Atletico Madrid to play its next two Champions League
home games at a neutral venue because of violent and racist behavior by the
club's fans during a match against Marseille earlier this month.
It's not the
first time that racism has tinged Spanish football.
England is currently
refusing to play an international friendly against European champion Spain in
Madrid in 2009 because its players were racially abused during a match at the
Santiago Bernabeu stadium in 2004.
FC Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o was
racially abused in a Spanish league match at Zaragoza two years ago.
Madrid
is bidding against Tokyo, Chicago, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the right to
host the 2016 Olympics. A decision will be made in Copenhagen, Denmark, in
November 2009.
Xinhua
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