In Russia, where monkey chants directed at black players and Nazi salutes by fans have been persistent problems at football matches, "local organizers of the 2018 World Cup have created a job that sets their preparations apart from previous hosts: antiracism inspector," according to Sam Borden of the N.Y. TIMES. The job, much like the issue of racism in Russian football generally, "is complex." As evidence, "consider that in a rare interview, the man appointed to fill the role, Alexei Tolkachev, pledged his office’s commitment to eradicating racism" in Russian football even as he disputed the notion that Russian football is rife with racism at all. At one point, Tolkachev said, "We in Russia take this problem very seriously." He then added, seconds later, "We don’t consider it as a serious problem." Interviews with players, fans and execs here indicated that "most observers acknowledge there is, at a minimum, a problem." High-profile incidents, like the jeering of visiting black players and the frequent taunts aimed at the Brazilian forward Hulk, who plays for Zenit St. Petersburg, "have contributed to the perception that Russian fans are intolerant." According to a soon-to-be-released report "compiled by the SOVA Center, which is based in Moscow, and the Fare network, a European anti-discrimination organization, there were 85 incidents of discriminatory behavior" in Russia from May 2014 to May 2015. A copy of the report, which is expected to be made public in the next week "but was viewed by The New York Times, includes details on incidents involving monkey chants, fans making Nazi salutes and a coach who referenced Ebola during a news conference when asked about injuries to players on his team." The report, however, also notes that while the rate of total incidents recorded has increased -- 99 incidents were recorded in the previous two years combined -- the incidents were largely "less aggressive" than in the past (N.Y. TIMES, 11/2).
