Euro 2012 has already been polluted by three separate incidents of racism, involving players from countries as diverse as Holland, the Czech Republic and Italy.
Uefa risibly attempted to spin the audible monkey chanting of Dutch players at an open training session in Krakow into boos aired by fans unhappy that another team trained at Wisla Krakow's ground. Netherlands captain Mark van Bommel angrily refuted those suggestions, and an investigation is underway.
Yet Uefa's worrying attempt (to cover up?) an incident of racism chimes with their frivolous attitude towards it. Paltry fines have been dished out to countries throughout Europe, yet the softline stance has kept racism in play rather than kicked it out.
To illustrate the issue, below is a gallery compiled of images dating back 26 years ago. Not every incident has been detailed, but the 22 images highlight a problem which is unsurprisingly gaining widespread attention, and why it may only exacerbate six years down the line.
