MOSCOW — In Russia, where monkey chants directed at black players and Nazi salutes by fans have been persistent problems at soccer matches, local organizers of the 2018 World Cup have created a job that sets their preparations apart from previous hosts: antiracism inspector.
The job, much like the issue of racism in Russian soccer generally, is complex. As evidence, consider that in a rare interview, the man appointed to fill the role, Alexei Tolkachev, pledged his office’s commitment to eradicating racism in Russian soccer even as he disputed the notion that Russian soccer is rife with racism at all.