Messi accused of being Racist..

[bapa]

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi - a player usually far removed from controversy - has been accused of racism by Everton's on-loan midfielder Royston Drenthe.
Drenthe, who is on loan from Real Madrid, said he had a number of problems with Messi while coming up against him in Spain.

"You know what bothers me so? That tone with which he always says, 'Negro, negro,'" Drenthe said, according to Dutch magazine NUsport.

"I understand that 'negro' in South America is very common, but we cannot stand it.

"Mahamadou Diarra, my teammate at Real, could explode if 'negro' was aimed at him. The Argentineans Gabriel Heinze and Gonzalo Higuain said it initially on the training ground, but they soon stopped."

The 25-year-old Dutchman said he also came up against Messi while playing for Spanish side Hercules, and once again encountered problems.

"When Hercules played Barcelona, during the game I had a small altercation with him. He gave me a hand in the match and again said a few times, 'Hola, negro.'

"I didn't get a handshake from him afterwards. I don't expect an invite to his birthday party."

Messi and Barcelona were yet to respond to the claims

[bapa]

Barcelona have staunchly defended Lionel Messi over claims he racially abused a black Real Madrid player several seasons ago.
Dutch midfielder Royston Drenthe, who is currently on loan at Everton, was quoted in a Dutch magazine as saying he was taunted by the Argentina forward and three-time world player of the year during several of their Spanish league encounters.

Barcelona said in a statement that the accusations "are well wide of the mark" and that Messi "has always shown maximum respect and sportsmanship towards his rivals."

Drenthe, who is black, claims Messi used the word "negro" in a negative tone. Liverpool's Luis Suarez was banned for eight games for taunting Manchester United's Patrice Evra the same way this season.

[Stiglitz]

Well well well...doesn't this sound familiar. Could it be that this is a matter of a cultural difference?

[Stitch This]

Well well well...doesn't this sound familiar. Could it be that this is a matter of a cultural difference?

Would Messi go up to a black guy on the street in New York and say "howzit goin' negro?"

Cultural difference

[BTAC]

Straight over retardo's head.

[Stiglitz]

Well well well...doesn't this sound familiar. Could it be that this is a matter of a cultural difference?

Would Messi go up to a black guy on the street in New York and say "howzit goin' negro?"

Cultural difference

Wow, how did you get so funny?

Tim Vickery has backed it up (most respected South American football journalist), Hernandez says the same thing, Higuain & Hienze used the word when to speaking to Diarra...Yeah, I’m clutching at straws.

…but by all means go ahead and tell me of your vast knowledge of what is and isn't considered racist to Spanish speaking cultures around the world...and while you're at it tell me that what is considered to be racist in New York, is also racist everywhere else in the world.

[Stiglitz]

Further to my post...I would like to add that the correct course of action would be to educate/warn the player and move on with life.