Loud scandal… racist statements against black players rock the World Cup!

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Former Yugoslavia striker Rade Bogdanovic, who currently works as a sports analyst for Serbian television, has sparked widespread controversy after making blatantly racist remarks against black players during his analysis of the Belgium-Iran 2026 World Cup match, which has been described as a “media scandal”.

According to the official RTS TV channel of Serbia, in response to the question about the dismissal of Belgian defender Nathan Njo in the 66th minute, Bogdanovic said:

Instead of retracting his statement or apologizing, the Serbian analyst stuck to his version of events, adding: “If we wanted to go into details, we would. They make mistakes too. I’m not generalizing, of course, but the majority lose focus, and then such situations happen.”

Bogdanovic, who won three international caps for the former Yugoslavia and scored two goals, is one of the popular figures in Serbian sports media, but his recent statements have put him at the center of an ethical and professional controversy, especially in light of FIFA and the European Union’s (UEFA) commitment to combating racism.

These statements come at a sensitive time, as the 2026 World Cup sees a wide participation of players of different races and nationalities, amid intense international campaigns against racial discrimination in sports, making the Serbian analyst’s statements a clear violation of sporting and human values.

Notably, the official Serbian channel RTS has yet to issue any official statement regarding the racist remarks broadcast live, while demands on social media are mounting for the analyst to be prosecuted and fired, and for international sports bodies to investigate the incident and take preventive measures.

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