Shocking racist calls to the Pristina colored player: That there are plenty of Pristina guys you're going to get black

At the time when the fight against racism had become the main topic of discussion in European football, Kosovo received praise for the welcome it made to the players of England in November last year under the slogan “Welcome, Broo.”.

While the English players expressed gratitude for that hospitality from Kosovo fans, the same treatment is not being experienced by colored footballers who play in Kosovo clubs.

Calls like “That there are a lot of Pristina boys you're just going to get black” addressed Pristina football player Gauthier Mankytata, during the Kosovo Cup's final match against the Balkans, especially after he suffered injuries in the 58th minute and was forced to leave the match in half.

Mankinta told Gazeta Express that he had not noticed these racist actions during the match, but admits that something like that happened to him in the past.

I didn't notice racist incidents yesterday, nor when I got hurt. It happened to me before, but I've overstepped it. They don't bother me or hurt me because I know it's things that demoralized fans” do, Manvata said.

Such incidents were reported earlier this season. In November last year, Gjilan had requested the launch of investigations by competent bodies for racist calls to football player Jackson Ferreer in the match against Vushtrri. Only four days later, Drenica wrote that Gjilan's captain, Ylber Kastrati, and Albania's former representative, Franc Veliu, insult their player, Dave Hermon on racial grounds.

The Kosovo Football Federation disciplinary Commission sentenced Vushtrri to the development of two official matches without audience presence in the stadium for several reasons, among which were racist insults directed at Gnjilane players.

When such racist incidents are located in major European leagues, police and clubs launch investigations and responsible persons are at least punished with suspension by football stadiums. However, security guards at the “Fadil Vokrri” stadium did not react Wednesday to halt those calls. This leads Mankina to be convinced that more can be done to combat racism.

The “could be done more, condemning or sanctioning those who do racist acts during matches in stadiums”, Manvata added, who said footballers facing such calls must be powerful in psychic terms and not pay attention to them during the matches.

Laws in Kosovo, U Statistics EFA

Fighting this negative phenomenon is difficult because the Law on Prevention and Sanction of Violence and Negative Ductions at Sports Events, adopted three years ago, does not provide convictions for racist calls at all, since in the only cases when racism is mentioned in this 12-page document is at Article 4, Point 1.3 and Article 6, Points 2.6, which are said to prevent propagand material that promotes racial, national, religious, etc.

Unlike competent organs in Kosovo, U n The EFA has detailed procedures that should be followed in such cases of racism, and what sentences should be pronounced against fans or clubs.

UEFA disciplinary regulation, updated for the last time in 2019, stipulates potential penalties for the Football Federation and their officials, clubs and officials, match officials, all players and all selected persons, ratified or appointed by the U. EFA to perform a task.

“Every person under Article 3 umbrella who offends the human dignity of a person or group of persons on any basis, including skin color, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation, faces suspension of at least ten matches or a certain period of time, or any other appropriate sentence”, says Article 14.

The Express newspaper has also contacted the Kosovo Football Federation on this problem, but it has not been answered until the article was published.