Fans spew epithets

Madrid

Spanish soccer fans shouted racist insults at black members of the English team during a “goodwill” exhibition game last week. The Spanish coach, Luis Aragones, set the nasty tone for the game a few weeks ago by referring to one British player as a “black s---” during a practice session. By game time, Spanish fans were revved up, and thousands made monkey noises every time a black player approached the ball. The Spanish government apologized for the incident, but British soccer fans were unappeased. British Sports Minister Richard Caborn called on European soccer authorities to amend international rules to allow players to walk off the field to protest racist chants.