A current Dutch soccer player has defended three fans who were accused of wearing “blackface” in imitation of famous players.
During the UEFA Euro 2024 match against Poland, three Dutch fans wore face paint and wigs to imitate the look of former player Ruud Gullit, an iconic figure in Dutch football who was part of the 1988 team that won the tournament.
The three men Criticized The piece, which portrayed the football legend, sparked online buzz and numerous media articles subsequently promoted his appearance.
However, there has been no criticism of the fans from the Dutch team, with at least one player coming to the team’s defence.
Defender Nathan AkeThe player, who also plays for one of the world’s top clubs, Manchester City, was asked by a reporter about the controversy in a recent interview. Press conference.
“The last thing I want to do is hurt someone, so I decided to quit.”
“[The] The community is pretty upset about a Ruud Gullit lookalike with shoe polish on his face. What do you think about that? Especially Nathan. [look alike]” the reporter said. Ake explained that he was not concerned by the act.
“I don’t think there’s a problem,” Ake said. Sports Bible“Can I be honest with you? These topics are getting out of hand. We shouldn’t allow this to happen.”
“Ruud Gullit has already said it’s an honour. Let’s not create problems with this,” Ake added.
Manager Ronald Koeman simply said: “Yes, I agree.”
According to Dutch media TelegraphGullit himself told the fans that he felt “really honoured”.
One fan, who called himself Bert van de Ven, was asked what kind of reaction his outfit had received.
“Maybe I made a mistake or had a blind spot,” he said. Dutch newsFollowing the online reaction, Fan said she would no longer wear the costume, despite reportedly wearing the same costume at a number of major tournaments.
“The last thing I want to do is hurt people, so I decided to stop.”
“I’ve received a lot of really great responses, but there are clearly groups who have different opinions,” he continued.
“I have to respect that and listen. The last thing I want is for people to have some kind of unpleasant association with what I do,” he said of blackface.
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