The Black Footballers Partnership (BFP) has criticised certain sections of the English media for their coverage following England’s 1-0 defeat to Iceland in a friendly match on Friday. The BFP has specifically highlighted the use of Bukayo Saka’s photograph in articles critical of the England team’s performance, despite Saka only playing for 25 minutes as a second-half substitute.
England’s loss at Wembley was their final warm-up match ahead of Euro 2024. The BFP, formed in 2021 to unite Black current and former players and provide them with a platform, argues that singling out Saka is unfair, especially considering other players who were on the pitch for longer and also failed to impress.
This issue echoes past concerns raised by Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling, who in 2018 accused some media outlets of “fuelling racism” through their portrayal of elite Black players. Sterling’s remarks brought attention to the media’s role in contributing to racial biases and the treatment of Black athletes.
In a statement, the BFP said: “Here we are, six years after Raheem Sterling called the press out for fuelling racism, with no obvious lessons learnt among our globally respected and influential press. Following England’s underwhelming loss to Iceland, and before we have even started the tournament, a number of leading British papers exclusively used photos of Bukayo Saka – who played only 25 minutes of the game – to illustrate articles that sought to criticise the entire team. This is simply not on. The press should know they play a part in setting the atmosphere for how fans see the England team.”
The BFP has called for fairness and unity among the media and supporters as England prepares to fly to Germany on Monday ahead of their first Euro 2024 match against Serbia on Sunday. In an effort to promote a positive atmosphere, the campaign group released a song in support of the England team, entitled “It’s OUR team,” aiming to prevent a repeat of the “disgusting racist wave” that followed England’s exit from Euro 2020. After the defeat to Italy on penalties in the final, Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho were subjected to online racist abuse.
The BFP’s statement continued, urging journalists and fans to act as unifiers rather than dividers as Euro 2024 approaches. The group also called for the media to review its hiring practices to increase diversity at senior levels, underscoring the importance of diverse representation in shaping public narratives and perceptions.
The call for fairness comes as the England team looks to move past the controversy and focus on their upcoming tournament. The BFP’s stance highlights ongoing concerns about racial biases in sports media and the broader implications for society.
