I never suffered racial abuse - Stephen Appiah

Former Ghana captain, Stephen Appiah, says he never suffered racial abuse during his playing days but has lifted the lid on why racism still exists in football.

Racism against black players has become a global pandemic with FIFA struggling to get rid of the canker.

The world came to a standstill following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in the US.

According to the former Juventus ace, football fans who haul racial abuse at footballers do so in an attempt to disrupt a player’s focus.

“I’ve never experienced racism but I’ve been in games where the opponent’s fans are trying to disturb [abuse] black players and all that,” the former Juventus and Fernabahce midfielder said.

“I think that at times they do when the player is a threat to them so they try to distract you and make you lose concentration so you can’t perform well.

“For others too, that’s just how they are, it’s their habit. That’s how they see us [black players] and I think it’s very bad.

“For years, African players, South American players, players with brown skin; we have tried to send messages but it’s never changing.

“But personally, I’ve never experienced that,” Appiah concluded in an interview with South American journalist, Carol Tshabalala.

Appiah spent 8 years in Italy from 1997 to 2005, playing for the likes of Udinese, Brescia, Parma and Juventus in an illustrious career before leaving to join Turkish giants Fenerbahce.