Recently, former Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who played for Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, gave an interview to The Guardian, talking about the issue of racism in football.
Talking about racial discrimination during his time at Atletico Madrid
Hasselbaink said: "We (black players) are constantly being dragged into it, as if we have to start all over again. It never ends."
Hasselbaink has a personal understanding of this feeling. During his time at Atletico Madrid, he would sometimes hear racist slogans, and once, when walking off the pitch, he was even spat on by fans.
Hasselbaink said: "I was the only one who was spat on because I was the only black player on the team, and no one helped me.
"It makes you feel worthless, makes you feel like a pile of garbage, while others go about their lives as usual, and no one really talks about it. People see it, but when you are alone, what can you do?"
Talking about Vinicius being discriminated against
Hasselbaink said that he "was not treated as badly as Vinicius." It is claimed that Vinicius has suffered 20 incidents of racial discrimination during his eight years at Real Madrid, most of which occurred in Spain.
Hasselbaink, 53, is concerned that although UEFA has launched an investigation, it will be difficult to prove the allegations against Prestianni, as the Benfica winger covered his mouth with his jersey at the time. Mbappe claimed that he heard Prestianni call Vinicius a "monkey" five times, but Prestiianni denied using racist language.
Hasselbaink commented: "We all think he said something, otherwise why would he cover his mouth? But we can't prove it. It's still a gray area.
"From a legal point of view, unfortunately, if he says 'I didn't say anything', you have to assume he is innocent. But maybe next season you should stipulate that you can no longer talk like that on the field.
"He must have said something controversial, otherwise why would he cover his mouth? You wouldn't cover your mouth and say: 'Vinicius, you are a great player, absolutely outstanding, can I have your jersey?'"
Talking about Mourinho's attitude in the incident
Benfica coach Mourinho linked the way Vinicius celebrated his winning goal in front of the Portuguese club's fans to the subsequent events, which further intensified the conflict.
Hasselbaink said: "What the hell is he talking about? What a hypocrite, a complete hypocrite. He should have asked his players if there was any racial abuse. If he really abused him, he must be punished. Mourinho himself has black players in his Benfica team. What are they supposed to think?"
Talking about Saka and other players being racially discriminated against in the 2020 European Cup final
As an assistant to Southgate in the England team, Hasselbaink worked with Saka. Previously, in the penalty shootout loss to Italy at Wembley Stadium in the 2020 European Cup final, Saka, Rashford, and Sancho were subjected to overwhelming racial discrimination for missing penalties. In the quarter-final match against Switzerland in the 2024 European Cup, Hasselbaink witnessed Saka preparing to take another penalty.
Hasselbaink said: "I have great respect for these players. Saka, Rashford, Sancho. During the European Cup, Saka was ready to take another penalty, and he did score. He was very brave. He silently endured everything and continued to move forward.
"That's pressure, and he withstood it. I have great respect for this kid. It shouldn't be like this. It's not right. It makes it harder for the players. Where is the logic in this?"
Hasselbaink believes that it is time to impose lifetime bans on fans who chant slogans, make gestures or post racist information online. "Give it a hard blow, it's not difficult."
He also wants to impose longer bans on players who are found guilty. "During that period, the club should not pay the players' salaries either."