FIFA 2022: Prejudice off the ball

At Qatar, everybody acknowledges that African or African origin players will play key roles in most big teams. Yet of the 32 teams, only four coaches are black, and they represent African teams

Ever since the French team won the World Cup in 1998, much enthusiastic media comment has been expended on the multi-racial — that is to say mainly African — composition of key European teams. That is true of European teams that will turn out for the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar — Germany, Spain, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland. Even Denmark and Wales have African-origin players in their national teams.

Europe (and that includes the UK) takes great pride in this diversity, frequently touting it as evidence of its inclusive social instincts whenever it is collectively