Who do you think you are? Charlton Heston?

[Photo: PhotoNews]

As a sad note from last night's Anderlecht-Standard match, we must now crack open the unbelievable asshole files (Dutch link): it seems that during the contest, Mauves defender Jelle Van Damme thrice called U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu a 'dirty ape'.

If you can understand/follow French, here is a video interview with the Standard center back. If not, what Gooch had told reporters earlier was: "Three times, Van Damme stood nose-to-nose with me and called me out. The ref was standing close enough that he must have heard. Then, when I said something to him, he waved my complaint away."

The American went on to explain that, though slurs can sometimes be heard from opposing supporters, this was the first time he'd ever heard a racist taunt from a competing player in Belgium.

Onyewu claims the Anderlecht defender slurred him three times, including once in English. Van Damme, however, was telling a different story. "He said that? Then, he is a liar," he told reporters. "Onyewu said several times that I am 'dirty Flemish'."

Referee Johan Verbist tried to sort out the episode to the Belgian media. "Onyewu had come to me to say that Van Damme had said racist things against him," he began to Het Niuewsblad. "I called Van Damme to discuss it, but he strongly denied it. I could do nothing, because it is word against word."

"Onyewu wanted to leave the pitch and I had to convince him not to do that. I told him he has a team and cannot run out on such an important match. I think he realized that. But he did call to me several times about racism."

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Hmm. I don't believe you, Jelle. And I know that sort of attitude would not have served you well at Ajax, so it makes a bit of sense now that they always seemed so eager to get rid of you despite obviously being a young talent.

Let me just say this one thing to bigots everywhere: we're not stupid and we totally get that your outbursts are nothing more than stupendously childish, unmistakable announcements of your crippling fear. Let that fact marinate for a while, and get back to us when you've decided to become a real adult.

As you can tell, I despise bigotry.

Anyway... I'm on the phone to Belgium right now, and will file a full report over at Soccer365 shortly.

UPDATE: My report is up. There may well be no league investigation, at least not right away, because Standard would need to file a complaint and don't seem to want to bother with this mess with Sunday's title decider at home approaching fast.

Also... if you're wondering whether I'll talk to Onyewu, I will not even try over this at this time. If Standard don't wish to become distracted by it all, I'm certainly not going to bother Gooch with it.

PS - I hope I never do anything that causes Gooch to look at me in any resemblance of that manner. I still may have nightmares just from seeing him give the glare in a photo.


- Greg Seltzer