Rade Bogdanovic, a former striker for Yugoslavia and Atlético Madrid, has ignited controversy on Serbian television following his recent comments about Black players during a World Cup discussion. His remarks were made while analyzing the Belgium vs. Iran match, where he suggested that Black athletes struggle with focus beyond a certain time frame.
During a program aired late Sunday on Serbia’s public broadcaster (RTS), Bogdanovic stated, “Black players lack concentration beyond 60 to 80 minutes” He elaborated, mentioning that teams often had to intervene to prevent mistakes from their players.
The program’s host questioned Bogdanovic’s assertion, yet he remained adamant, asserting that “I have always said those players – and I’m really not racist – but Black players lack the concentration to last more than 60 to 80 minutes,” His comments quickly garnered widespread criticism across social media platforms.
Despite the backlash, Bogdanovic returned to RTS the following day as an analyst for the Argentina vs. Austria match. In a subsequent statement, he expressed remorse, saying, “When we played, we sometimes had to protect our own players to stop them making mistakes,”
RTS also issued an official apology, clarifying that while Bogdanovic is not a permanent employee, he has been serving as an expert commentator during the tournament. The broadcaster stated, “the majority lack concentration”
Bogdanovic began his football career in Sarajevo, which is now the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, playing for Zeljeznicar before moving to South Korea and Japan. He later returned to Europe, where he had brief stints with Atlético and Werder Bremen in Germany, and made three appearances for Yugoslavia in 1997.
The match between Belgium and Iran ended in a 0-0 draw, placing Iran in second and Belgium in third as both teams vie for advancement to the next round.
