Before the friendly soccer game between Turkey and Greece on Nov. 17, a moment of silence was held for the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks that occurred on Nov. 13, 2015. During this moment of silence, the Turkish fans started to boo and chant “Allahu Akbar” which means “God is Greater” in Arabic. This was a sign of disrespect for the 129 people who were killed and for their families who are now grieving. The Turkish coach was very upset, releasing this statement in the post game interview: ‘Our fans should have behaved during the national anthems and during the one minute silence. ‘Greece is our neighbour. Today is world neighbours day, but our fans didn’t behave like neighbours in this match.’
As fans, we go to stadiums to cheer on the athletes. I believe that we are role models and that the way we react can really affect someone’s view of the game. People watching at home see fans on TV, and either see them behaving and cheering on their favorite team, or acting immaturely and making fools of themselves. At times, it seems that sports fans have created a bad name for themselves. Over the past decade, there have been fights between fans and instances where fans storm the field to prevent a team from leaving. Instead, let’s keep it classy and enjoy a great display of athleticism!
This article cites:
https://www.rt.com/sport/322604-turkish-fans-minute-silence/
