Source:REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff
[Saba Sports News] According to UK media reports, West Ham United sparked controversy by emphasizing in an official tweet that their new head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, is Black. Recently, West Ham joined the “Black History Month” commemorations and posted a photo of the Portuguese coach, Nuno, on Wednesday. The club’s official Twitter account captioned the photo: “Nuno, West Ham United’s first Black head coach.” Unsurprisingly, this post triggered widespread reactions online. The tweet garnered over 800,000 views within three hours. One user questioned: “Should the club really be deliberately counting the skin color of its employees?” Another user involved in the discussion commented: “Honestly, I didn’t even notice his skin color; I just think he’s an excellent coach we should have hired. His attitude towards the fans and the start against Everton have been great. No need to emphasize skin color; he’s just our manager.” Another comment bluntly stated: “Reducing an excellent coach like Nuno to just his skin color is extremely disrespectful. His work, achievements, and experience are what deserve attention. This post is absurd!” Yet another user criticized: “It’s precisely this kind of deliberate emphasis on skin color that fuels racism. I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t posted this. Please do better.”