The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

In football, as in politics, Serbia still doesn't get it

Despite all the wars, bloodshed, victims, and hate, the country still can't come to terms with modernity.

By Denis MacShane Published 17 October 2012 16:27

English and Serbian football players clash last night. Photograph: Getty Images.

Andros Townsend (C) of England separates his team-mate Danny Rose (L) and Sasa Markovic of Serbia as they argue after the Under 21 European Championship match between the two sides. Photograph: Getty Images.

What is wrong with Serbia? Last night it seemed as if all the work of UEFA at Euro 2012 to make football free of racism was undone. Serbs fans chanted monkey sounds at the black English player, Danny Rose. As they left the pitch, after the England Under-21 team's 1-0 victory, Serb players and team officials attacked the English visitors.

The England captain Jordan Henderson said, "There was a lot of racist abuse out there from the stands and a lot going on after the game, which is hard to take for the players." Stones and coins were thrown at the England players in addition to the racist abuse.

The facts seem indisputable, but in Serbia facts are what you want them to be. The Serb team’s technical director, Savo Milosevic, came into England’s dressing rom and apologised for "any behaviour that was unsavoury," Stuart Pearce, the England manager, said after the game. Now, in an on-so-Serbian piece of chutzpah, the Serb FA are calling for an investigation into the England team and denying that any racist incidents took place.

It is up to UEFA to decide whether they are serious about their campaign against racism. They worked closely with Rafael Pankowski, who is not only Poland’s leading writer on the far-right but also founder of a Polish and Europe-wide NGO dedicated to removing the racism and anti-Semitism that has disfigured European contests well into the 21^st century, despite the large number of black players in club and national teams. UEFA stadium billboards kept flashing up anti-racism messages in June in a sign that Europe acknowledged there was a problem. Now the Serbs have set this work back a decade. UEFA should take swift action. If Rangers in Scotland can be relegated two divisions for getting their financial affairs out of order, Serbian club and national teams should be suspended from all UEFA competitions for the rest of this season. Harsh and cruel, maybe, but unless UEFA is prepared to stand up against racism in football, the Serbs who abused the black English player will walk cocky and tall that they can turn a football stadium into a source of race hate.

But is it any accident that the incident, and the Serb FA’s refusal to condemn it, happened in the week that the most prominent living Serb, Radovan Karadžić, told the International Tribunal at the Hague that he had nothing to apologise for over the actions carried out in Sarajevo or Srebrenica? At Srebrenica, 8,000 plastic handcuffs were prepared to tie the hands of the European Muslims selected to be killed by Serbs to teach others a lesson. The precise number of bullets, and catering vehicles for the executioners were brought to the site, where Serb excavators had carefully dug trenches for the bodies to fall into after they had been shot.

In 1970, Willy Brandt famously knelt at the Warsaw Ghetto to make as public and symbolic an apology as he could for the German crimes against Poles and Jews. Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand held hands at Verdun as they too said "never again". Today, as Karadzic struts his stuff in the Hague, the elected prime minister of Serbia, Ivica Dačić, a former aide of Slobodan Milošević, refuses to shake the hand of the prime minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi. Belgrade refuses to recognise the existence of Kosovo as a legitimate nation state, even though nearly 100 nations and nearly all the world’s major democracies have established diplomatic relations with it. In another example of chutzpah, worthy of the Serb FA, Dačić said recently that Kosovo should be partitioned with a good chunk of its territory handed over to Serbia. There are regions of Serbia peopled by Albanians close to Kosovo, but the general rule in the Balkans is no more ethnic division.

But just as the Serb FA leaders feel they can flout the UEFA rules against racism, so too do Serb political leaders treat the European-wide agreement against further Balkans partition with contempt. Stefan Fuele, the amiable, soft-spoken EU Commissioner for enlargement, rebuked Dačić, and EU officials are tearing their hair out at the failure of Belgrade to declare a truce with Kosovo, deal with the elected Pristina government, and help move both countries onto an EU membership road, as William Hague has urged.

It is 25 years since Serbia’s most famous Milošević launched the disintegration of Yugoslavia with an aggressive nationalist speech in the heart of Kosovo. Despite all the wars, bloodshed, victims, and hate, it seems it will take a little longer before Serbia’s ruling elites, whether in football or politics, come to terms with modernity.

Denis MacShane was minister for the Balkans from 2001-2005. He is author of Why Kosovo Still Matters (Haus 2011) @denismacshane and www.denismacshane.com

Special Offer: Get 12 issues of New Statesman magazine for just £12

Tags: Serbia England Football

More from Denis MacShane

View the discussion thread.

38 comments

Mon, 2012-10-22 17:31 — Aleksandar (not verified)

First of all,Sasa Markovic was trying to calm down Rose,he wasn't arguing with him.Second,there is no word about legacy of Kosovo recognizing,neither the fact that Russia and China declared VETO,but some other significant powers declared independence ignoring them.Kosovo is not a country like Croatia,Bosnia,or Slovenia,it was and is PART of Serbia.That much about political knowledge.Third thing,banning U21 national team of Serbia could be called "Harsh and Cruel",but kicking off every national/club Football team is unreal,evil and monsterous punish. Some peoples are using Serbias bad reputation to build their journalist status/career,do not fall on this cheap texts

Sun, 2012-10-21 18:11 — PEN (not verified)

MacShane has form, and is a past master at spewing anti-Serb bile. When this rumpus kicked off last week you could just see him rubbing his hands with glee. Another opportunity to stick the knife in. Oh those unreconstructed Serbian troublemakers. They're at it again by jove! Nobody denies there's a hooligan issue in Serbia as there is in Croatia and most of eastern Europe for that matter. The problem with MacShane is that he lacks all credibility given his persistent Serb baiting in the past. Throwing the Kosovo imbroglio in for good measure only justifies the suspicion he's nothing but a mouthpiece for the Pristina regime. Give it a rest chum.

Sun, 2012-10-21 12:42 — Stephen Hildon (not verified)

"the most prominent living Serb, Radovan Karadžić"

I am sure Novak Đoković is now.

Sat, 2012-10-20 04:05 — marshall (not verified)

There is no hope for you britts, you are the very essence of racism, bigotry and hypocrisy and, after all those years, the only thing you came up with is political correctness. No, political correctness is not correct, you have to see every person as human being not as human being of some race and colour.

Fri, 2012-10-19 22:32 — Fitim Hajrizaj (not verified)

This behaviour will go on as long as Serbs are left to destabilise the region. In the WWII germans realised that it is not OK to commit crimes against a country and an ethnic group. Despite all the wars, all the crimes, disregard for basic human rights (list goes on and on and on) Serbs were not asked to change their destructive behavior. Serbia addmits outright it's trying to destabilise Kosovo, and their actions are causing the people of a whole country to suffer, even after their attempts to cleanse Kosovo out of it's entire population. Kosovo is not even alowed to take part in sports, and do not have any oppurtunity to be a part of the world community. Serbs are allowed to keep their belief that it's OK to murder people, and wage wars against unarmed civilians. Behavior in the Sports arena is just an continuation of the same old behaviour.

Fri, 2012-10-19 08:57 — StephenHildon (not verified)

"Serbia didn't have an empire, in fact it was part of of the Austro-Hungarian Empire"

Maybe in an alternate universe it was, but not this one.

Fri, 2012-10-19 08:16 — Stephen Hildon (not verified)

Usual MacShane lies:

"At Srebrenica, 8,000 plastic handcuffs were prepared to tie the hands of the European Muslims"

This seems to be a totally new allegation seemingly without any evidence.

"It is 25 years since Serbia’s most famous Milošević launched the disintegration of Yugoslavia with an aggressive nationalist speech in the heart of Kosovo."

Trying to confuse the 1987 "not beat you speech" with the 1989 Gazimestan speech? Lame and neither was nationalistic.

Fri, 2012-10-19 06:47 — plain john snith (not verified)

I am sure the Serbs are not very nice people, but none of em have ever stolen any of my taxes to start their own computer business: expense fiddling cur.

Fri, 2012-10-19 00:46 — Posh Tosh (not verified)

What do you expect from a nation where families have killed families in the name of religion, in the name of fascism,in the name of Christ,in the name of Allah - But never in the name of Satan.

It is spill-blood multiculturalism at work.

Mind you not all from Serbia are alike that as many having seen the bloodshed on both sides stopped believing in fairy stories of faith.

The same as happened in the Lebanon, when at the height of the 'religious and race conflicts' the pound was a weaker currency within the UK, indeed their currency in the Lebanon held far better return and was in the eyes of the bankers a safer risk.

Thu, 2012-10-18 23:06 — Ruben (not verified)

Racism and ethnic hate in Serbia has never gone out of fashion. Although people are less expressive now when talking to Westerns.

Not for nothing Slovenians, Kosovars, Croats, Macedonians and even Montenegrins jumped ship. Who wants to live with them?

My heart goes to those minorities who couldn't make it and will have to live with the Serbian nation.

I feel sorry also for all those 20% of Serbs who are intelligent and Westernized, but have to live with that awful majority of an incurable Nazi-mentality.

Thu, 2012-10-18 15:45 — Hugh C Markey (not verified)

It's quite simple. Serbia didn't have an empire, in fact it was part of of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, remember the Emperor Waltz, and does not have the benefit of former subjects setting up home in the country of its former colonial masters.
It seems the more toxic views of Eastern Europe were suppressed by the state communism of the Soviet Union and Tito.
Suppose that was another sort of empire but racists seem to have been kept in check. No freedom of speech though.

Kick-about Politics

Thu, 2012-10-18 14:55 — Danilo (not verified)

The worst thing about this all is that Serbia and the Serbian people are trying to move on from where they were many years ago, but the international community, media and people like every close-minded, judgemental, tunnel-visioned person commenting on here with their Anti-Serbian messages are making it extremely difficult for Serbia and it's people to move on.

It takes two to fight.

Thu, 2012-10-18 15:36 — Dick Puhlir (not verified)

Is this the same McShane who fiddled £125, 000 from the taxpayer? Shurely not, shome mishtake shurely.

Thu, 2012-10-18 14:20 — Stuart Eels (not verified)

Can't normally stand Denis MacShane but agree with him totally on this one.

Danilo

No sane person grabs someone else's head in a friendly fashion, You'll be saying next that he only wanted to give him a kiss as a sign of Serbia's love of all others. How do you explaim the head butt away. Yes some of us actually watched in horror as your proud Serbs displayed
your love of all others, you and your friends on here can't blame the victims.

Serbia has an awlful long trip to catch up with the rest of the human race.

Thu, 2012-10-18 14:50 — Danilo (not verified)

Ok genius.
Watch from minute 1:17 of this video (youtube.com) watch?v=2Vg1Sh3z2B8. 'No one grabs someone else's head in a friendly fashion' - ummm he just did? Maybe you're not the sane one here.

In my comments I did not insult any race - and for you to say Serbia has an awful long trip to catch up with the rest of the human race is absolutely disgusting. I bet you have never met a Serbian in your life, and that you know nothing of the Serbian people or culture other than what this article and many others like it have written. Shame on you.

Thu, 2012-10-18 12:19 — Zednik (not verified)

"Compare Hitler's lebensraum (all Germans in one Germany, under one Fuhrer) and Serbian plan for "Greater Serbia" (all Serbs in one Serbia). In both cases, the aim is an ethnically cleansed and "purified" state and the society with no minorities or religions other than Orthodox Christianity."

Oh dear, oh dear - 'Greater Serbia', that old chestnut. A few facts. Serbia has the per capita largest refugee population in Europe. Serbia is also the most multi-ethnic of all the states of the former FRY. Recently the EU lauded a program in Belgrade in integrate Roma populations as one of the best in any of the former 'Eastern Block' states. Not bad for a nation that is constitutionally racist - which is what the comment above is insinuating.

Thu, 2012-10-18 12:05 — Zednik (not verified)

Has Denis Macshane read the article on Kosovo in Foreign Policy called 'Thug Life'? Essential reading for any Kosovo cheerleader. Should be easy to find.

Thu, 2012-10-18 11:32 — lipovc (not verified)

When this happens in the UK is not treated in the same way as elsewhere in the world.
The author of this article by writing this article demonstrates its intolerance.

Peace and tlerance in the world

Thu, 2012-10-18 07:17 — Michael, Vojvodina (not verified)

I come from the Province of Vojvodina, that is the only remaning part of former Yugoslavia, still under Serbian rule. Now you see how we feel, and why we seek Independence. Compare Hitler's lebensraum (all Germans in one Germany, under one Fuhrer) and Serbian plan for "Greater Serbia" (all Serbs in one Serbia). In both cases, the aim is an ethnically cleansed and "purified" state and the society with no minorities or religions other than Orthodox Christianity. However, I don't blame Serbs but International Community that tolerates and finance such regimes and ideologies.

Wed, 2012-10-17 23:18 — ciossa (not verified)

This from an MP and a former minister? And a near 64-year old?
Good Lord. Seen more coherent texts in a high school.

PS: EURO 2012 a triumph of anti-racism? Have we watched the same tournament?
Back in June you wrote of the need for UEFA to stop games in case of racist shouts.
Racism was abundant, in the first phase especially, and not a single game was stopped.

Wed, 2012-10-17 22:57 — SerbIN (not verified)

Bunch of b**** ili što bi rekli: Jedi govna šiptarski plaćeniku!

Wed, 2012-10-17 21:09 — Branko R (not verified)

8,000 plastic handcuffs? Mr. MacShane, what dream of yours should I cite for that evidence?

Wed, 2012-10-17 19:21 — Chris Wilson (not verified)

For shocking racism, do not look to Serbia but to the author of this article. The racial hatred just pours out. All Serbs are racist because of the actions of a few people in a soccer crowd. Does the same rule apply to all English because of a handful of racists in English soccer crowds?
Then, Serbia is accused of racism for not recognising Kosovo. This is plainly wrong. The UN does not recognise Kosovo, most of the world's countries do not recognise Kosovo. So why should Serbia's desirte to retain part of its territory - the most important part of its territory culturally - be regarded as racism?
This article has crossed the border from biased criticism to outright racism. Shame!

Thu, 2012-10-18 12:30 — Balkanist (not verified)

There is no stereotyping of all Serbs in this article. The people Mr MacShane attacks are 1) the FSS, the Football Association of Serbia; 2) those fans on the terraces who were racist; 3) the Serbia players who attacked English players; 4) the political leadership of Serbs in Serbia and in Bosnia. That leaves in excess of ten million Serbs about which the author expresses no opinion. It should be noted that Denis MacShane points out the actions of Savo Milosevic in apologizing to the English team; Mr Milosevic, presumably, is a Serb.

Mr MacShane does not accuse Serbia of racism in not recognizing Kosovo; he accuses Serbia's political leadership of not facing up to modernity. That the UN does not recognize Kosovo is hardly surprizing when a veto is held by Russia; nevertheless the number of UN countries that recognize Kosovo is growing month by month. Be that as it may, the matter under discussion is European rather than global, and Kosovo is recognized by the majority of European states and the great majority of those in the European Union. EU officials and heads of government have made it very clear that Serbia will have to resolve its problems with Kosovo amicably if it wants to join; Olli Rehn's speech last week on the subject could hardly be clearer.

As for Kosovo being culturally the most significant part of Serbia, this is the product of a nationalist campaign that arose in the late nineteenth century as demonstrated by Wolfgang Hoepken and many other historians, many of them Serbs. Why this should be of significance in drawing borders is unclear; if it were, we should take the view that Kyiv should be part of Russia, Aachen part of France and Istanbul part of Greece. As it is, claiming an entire territory as the nucleus of the nation while offering the larger part of it for partition is evidence of an attachment to the land that is less than total. There is nothing wrong with this: poll after poll in Serbia shows that the Serbian people do not consider the existence of the Republic of Kosovo to be a major issue.

If we are to think about racism, football and recognition, then presumably we should consider the FSS's objections to UEFA not too long ago concerning a group of schoolchildren from Kosovo playing a friendly match with Swiss schoolchildren. Then we should consider the FA's threatened boycott of matches against Serbia because of the treatment of its players and the attitude of the FSS towards racism and football. In the world of some, there is nothing racist about the former while it is the English who are being racist in the latter. It goes along with accusing Denis MacShane of racism when he has made plain that he is attacking certain groups of people, not an entire nation. In recent months, readers in the West have grown used this kind of peversion of racism and rejection of modernity; it is the same kind as peddled by the Tea Party.

Fri, 2012-11-02 18:12 — petrija lazic (not verified)

Denis MacShane, stop deceiving people, we know this is you again, albeit by another name. BTW: why did you change your name to MacShane in the first place? Why didn't you stick to your Polish name? Afraid of racism in the UK?

Thu, 2012-10-18 11:05 — lipovc (not verified)

I completely agree with you.
The author of this article by writing this article demonstrates its intolerance.
Peace and tlerance

Wed, 2012-10-17 18:57 — LJ Davies (not verified)

Having lived in Belgrade for a year on European Voluntary Service I have to say you cannot judge Serbia or Serbians on the actions of a group of football hooligans, any more than you can accuse all England fans of being racist because the former captain of England has just been found guilty of racially abusing a black player.

Wed, 2012-10-17 18:57 — LJ Davies (not verified)

Wed, 2012-10-17 18:47 — Deniii (not verified)

Well Serbia dont get it because thats they way they are for another 50 years, they are the one who started the war and killed so many people and still working on it with new goverment and prime minister former aid to Milloshevic, what else can you say for those people??!!

Wed, 2012-10-17 18:47 — Deniss (not verified)

Wed, 2012-10-17 18:46 — Deniss (not verified)

Wed, 2012-10-17 18:45 — Deniss (not verified)

Well Serbia dont get it because thats they way they are for another 50 years, they are the one who started and killed so many people and still working on it with new goverment and prime minister former aid to Milloshevic, what else can you say for those people??!!

Wed, 2012-10-17 17:41 — Stu Harps (not verified)

Rangers were not relagated two divisions. Rangers no longer exist. A new club called Rangers were formed and applied for the top tier in Scottish football which was rejected by other member clubs.

Wed, 2012-10-17 17:40 — Stu Harps (not verified)

Rangers were not related two divisions. Rangers no longer exist. A new club called Rangers were formed and applied for the top tier in Scottish football which was rejected by other member clubs.

Wed, 2012-10-17 17:40 — Stu Harps (not verified)

Rangers were not relagared two divisions. Rangers no longer exist. A new club called Rangers were formed and applied for the top tier in Scottish football which was rejected by other member clubs.

Wed, 2012-10-17 17:36 — Danilo (not verified)

If Denis MacShane watched the actual match he would've seen the Serbian player photographed was Sasa Markovic, who was approaching Danny Rose in an attempt to calm him down. He grabbed his head as a friendly gesture and was urging Danny Rose to keep his cool.

If you need me to, I will link you with a video. I look forward to my comment being deleted.

Thank you Denis MacShane for showing just how biased your article is. A great journalist you are - a complete package. Well done. Please enlighten us with whatever university or college you graduated from so that students may avoid that pathway.

Wed, 2012-10-17 16:55 — Dulo (not verified)

You will see more of similar acts from Serbia for another 25 years, because the International community allows them, by not forcing them with evidence of course, to apologise for committing (or tried to commit) genocides against all its neighbours.
These people have to come to terms with what their politicians did with their approval of course.

Sat, 2012-10-20 10:12 — May (not verified)

What a miserable campagne against the whole nation (not only specified group of people)! Prejudices, hatred, ignorance of history, or all together? And due to what, to a sole incident made by group of stupid hooligans you can meet in any other country during football match?! Whatever, all such comments uncover nothing but what racism really is. By the way, players of other races also play for Serbian football teams.