Oguchi Onyewu Sues Player Over “Racist Insult”

In what many will consider an overdue reaction to racism in football, a black player is suing a white opponent over an alleged racist insult directed at him during a match in Belgium. Oguchi Onyewu, the United States and Standard Liege defender, has accused Jelle van Damme of Anderlecht of calling him a “dirty monkey”, a claim that Van Damme, who is white, has denied.

Accusations of racism made by black players against spectators and other players are far from uncommon, but Onyewu's recourse to law takes the battle a stage further. “He was convinced it was his duty to lodge the complaint,” Jean-Louis Dupont, Onyewu's lawyer, said. “It is not a question of whether Van Damme is racist. The issue is that these slurs are still used on the pitch, and are being used because they know it hurts.”

The alleged insult was used during the first leg of the Belgian league title play-off between Standard and Anderlecht on May 21. Onyewu, who is presently preparing with the US squad for the Confederations Cup in South Africa this month and two World Cup qualifiers, alerted the referee to three incidents during the match, but no action was taken. He threatened to leave the pitch but was convinced to stay by teammates. Standard drew the match, winning the second leg 1-0 to retain their league title.