‘Maybe we are alone’: Jude Bellingham questions whether authorities ‘care’ about racist abuse directed at Black footballers.
Jude Bellingham’s reaction to allegations of racial abuse from players who refused to come forward has angered some fans and prompted a backlash from Bellingham and his supporters. The former Liverpool player is a prominent footballing ambassador for Black fans and has spoken out against racial abuse directed at Black players and Black supporters throughout his career.
“I don’t think it’s good enough, I don’t think the authorities should care about these sort of things,” said Bellingham, who has been a guest at United’s Carrington training ground to support his fiancee following their split.
The Football Association is currently facing an investigation into racism in the country’s top flight.
Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard has been one of the most outspoken figures in the spotlight in response to accusations of racial abuse.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said he had noticed a “smaller number” of incidents over the past two years but that had not come as a surprise.
“There’s been a small increase in the number of incidents and it’s not a particularly big increase, but I do personally believe, having seen this, that perhaps we’ve got too many incidents to be concerned about,” said Gerrard.
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Gerrard admitted he had seen racial abuse from other fans but said that was not an issue for him but rather something he needed to deal with as a professional.
“I have noticed it, it’s like a small percentage. But I am never going to allow it to happen to me. It’s something that’s happened to me, as a professional player of course, but not something that defines me as a person.
“I can see people not treating the black player right, I see people not treating a black player right. But that’s not me and I’m not going to see others that way,” said Gerrard.
Gerrard has been an ambassador for the Black community for many years, after helping his manager with United’s Black Player of the Year campaign in 2013.
He said: “I’ve seen the problem first-hand,
