Ex-player Paul Beloy says racism is still an issue in Belgium

Paul Beloy says there is still a problem with racism in Belgium

Paul Beloy, one of the first black players to feature in the Belgian league, says racism is still a problem in the country – despite Belgium’s national team boasting players from a wide range of different backgrounds including Morocco, Kenya, DR Congo and Indonesia.

Beloy moved to Belgium from what was then Zaire now DR Congo as young boy, and says he had bananas thrown at him in his early football career.

He says racism is still an issue at varying levels in Belgian football.

“In Mechelen, I was the first black person,” he told BBC Sport.

“People came to our garden to look at the young black kids as they told each other: ‘Their parents live in Africa and still live in the trees.’ We were a novelty, a curiosity” said Beloy.

He claims the abuse continued into his playing career and in April 1978 during a game between his Beerschot VAC side and Antwerp, a banana was thrown at him from the stands.

“I picked up that banana and put it aside to continue playing,” he continued.

“The next day the newspaper published a cartoon, depicting ‘Beloy’ with a banana skin. But that was the only reaction, that was it, full stop.”

Beloy believes not much has changed over the years especially for youngsters. He currently works with a club in Antwerp whose youth teams are predominantly made up of immigrants.

“Everywhere they go, they face racism – it’s the black team playing against the white team – but these kids are just six, seven or eight years old,” he says.

“At youth level, matches shouldn’t be …

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