Zone1 Georgi Ivanov, technical director of Bulgarian Football Union, defends comments that no players of “other skin color” should play for national team

[basquebromance]

if white players played on the Senegal team, there would be an uproad, wouldn't there?

Bulgaria Soccer’s Georgi Ivanov Defends Racist Comments on National Team Roster - Sports Illustrated

The technical director is under fire for racist comments.

www.si.com

 

[DGS49]

So what does your State do if a kid from a school district with crappy sports teams moves to a school district where colleges recruit heavily? Do they let him do it? Probably not. What's the difference? If I'm a soccer star who lives in a shit-hole country and I move to Bulgaria so that I can compete in international competition for the Bulgarians, why should Bulgaria allow that?

And why is this declared a "racist" remark? That is a moral conclusion that no journalist is qualified to assess. Bulgarian football is for Bulgarians. What is racist about that?

The same issue arises in the U.S., and I think it's bullshit. If an African American is on the team, fine he is American. But if some kid moves here from a foreign country because he knows that we suck at soccer and he can be a star? Bullshit. The team should be comprised of Americans. Nothing racist about it. It would apply to Germans, Brits, ...whatever.

 

[xyz]

if white players played on the Senegal team, there would be an uproad, wouldn't there?

Bulgaria Soccer’s Georgi Ivanov Defends Racist Comments on National Team Roster - Sports Illustrated

The technical director is under fire for racist comments.

www.si.com

No, there wouldn't be an uproar, but I don't think they have the financial incentive to attract European players.

Also from the article:
“I stand behind my words that my wish is to watch Bulgaria with Bulgarian players,” Ivanov said, per Balkan Insight. “As long as I’m director, a foreign player with a foreign passport or other skin color won’t play. I don’t want players from other countries to replace Bulgarian ones. Some countries might do this but this to me is a faulty practice.”

Ok, fair enough, he doesn't want foreigners from other European countries to play there, but what if a black guy actually has a Bulgarian passport? Could be half black and practically be a native Bulgarian, or could have learned Bulgarian to get citizenship. At that point, the statement is clearly racist.

 

[Anathema]

Under FIFA regulations you can’t just wander into any country you want and play for their national team. You must have a certain level of connection to that nation (citizenship, close relatives, born there, etc…). The issues arise generally with players who have citizenship in multiple countries, were born overseas, or who have lived in foreign countries since childhood. Once a player plays a certain amount of international games for a certain country they are “Cap Tied” to thst nstion and can’t play for anyone else.