Tony Sanneh saw the pattern while he was a player. It is precisely the same one he sees now, more than a decade after his retirement.
Soccer confronts its struggle to combat racism only sporadically. The abuse of a player on the field, the denigration of a team from the stands, a sudden reminder of the lack of opportunities for Black coaches or executives — all of it sparks a conversation, a campaign, a vow to do better. “It is always talked about,” Sanneh said. “And then it goes away again.”
Several prominent Black voices within the sport have suggested, in recent weeks, that it must not be allowed to happen again.