Kick in the Eye

Zidane avec le Coupe de Monde, from Shanghai Daily

I'm booking time for a big rant...was going to do it yesterday but wasn't feeling up to it. Basically, being a Scottish person, I have avoided any comment on the World Cup lest I be painted as bitter and twisted. Not me. As a Scottish person, I have a realisation that we are a small country, and though we are fiercely proud of our football team, we know that they will: (a) perform heroically against the big team; (b) lose in the last minute against the middling team; (c) get thumped by the poorest teams. And we love them for it. We may never make a World Cup again, but we might as well sing loudly on the way.

Anyway, the cause of my rant? The English meeja, and their love affair with Wayne Rooney. In short:

Rooney shoves Ronaldo. Rooney was provoked, therefore Rooney saint, Ronaldo sinner.

Zidane headbuts Materazzi. Zizou should not have reacted, whatever was said. Zizou is a sinner.

I cannot believe the hypocrisy of the above argument. Some even said things like "the World Cup was spoiled by the likes of Ronaldo and Zidane". Right. So it's ok to stamp on someones nads, shove someone else, then stamp off like a spoiled child, so long as you're English.

Ronaldo is now a national hero in Scotland (*smile*) but may never be able to play for Man U again. Whatever you think of Zidane's behaviour, all I'm asking for is some consistency in attitude. If Zidane was wrong, then so was Rooney.

Personally, I have to wonder about the spectre of racism that seems to haunt Italian football. Today they perhaps have other things to worry about, but something stinks beyond match-fixing. Yes, footballers are big boys and have to put up with pretty aggressive banter, but there is a line. Racism is drawn in that line, and it must be stamped out.