Wayne Lumbasi
Gareth Southgate has admitted he could face “another layer of difficulty” when it comes to choosing penalty takers over fears they could suffer racist abuse. Fear of a social media backlash will weigh heavily on Southgate when the England manager selects players for penalty shoot-outs.
Southgate has made the stunning admission that he would have to consider the implication of picking black players to take penalties at the World Cup.
Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were all subjected to vile online taunts after missing in the Euros final shoot-out last summer. Southgate admitted he was wracked with guilt afterwards about putting the players in that position but says it would not be right to pick penalty takers based on the color of their skin.
The manager, who is ramping up his plans for November’s World Cup, said: “I couldn’t help but feel, ‘Have I created this situation for the boys? But it wouldn’t be right to not pick the players you think are best to take them because of what the possible consequences of missing would be.”
“I’ve got to pick them on the belief they are going to score. I’m trying to balance whether the question is about the racism itself — which is abhorrent and unacceptable — and what you’re identifying, that there’s another layer of complexity in making that decision.”
