Canal+ Enady Festival

Read about the Canal+ Enady Festival and the controversy surrounding Michael Ameyaw's 'Polishness'

Enady / 2024-08-26 11:49:47

Unbelievable that these words were said live, gentlemen.

Ameyaw was born in Poland, raised in Poland, speaks Polish just as well as you, and maybe even better, and knows the history of our country just as well. Ours, because he is Polish, like me and you. You didn't need to comment on it or ask stupid questions. No one needed it - after the embarrassing performance by the experts of Canal+ Sport last Sunday, writes Konrad Ferszter from Sport.pl.

Controversy Surrounding Michael Ameyaw

After the rumors about the possible call-up of Michael Ameyaw to the Polish national team emerged last week, there were more articles and comments about the Piast Gliwice player than in his entire career. Unfortunately, they weren't only about the sport. Many racist comments appeared on the internet, questioning Ameyaw's 'Polishness'. The 23-year-old footballer is black, his name is Michael, not Michał, and his father is from Ghana. The fact that Ameyaw was born in Łódź, grew up in Warsaw, and matured as a footballer in Widzew didn't matter to the commentators. For them, Ameyaw is the 'second Emmanuel Olisadebe', and we don't need any more of those.

Ameyaw's Response to Racist Comments

Ameyaw himself admitted that both on the field and on the street, people sometimes speak to him in English just because he 'doesn't look like a typical Pole'. 'I was born in Poland, my mother is Polish, and my father has been living in Poland for over 30 years and also has Polish citizenship. Skin color shouldn't determine whether we can call someone a Pole or not,' Ameyaw said on the Canal+ Sport program Liga+ Extra. 'I think that if we were to confront a person who writes negative comments face to face and test our knowledge of our country, that person might be a little embarrassed,' he added.

Compromising Behavior by Canal+ Sport Experts

When the 23-year-old directed these words to racists posting comments on the internet during the live program, he did not yet know that he could have said the same thing to the experts of Canal+ Sport. The co-host, Bartosz Gleń, started right at the beginning of the program. 'Because you, Michael, know the Polish language perfectly, as we can hear. And it was like this, someone from the side, when you had the ball at your feet, shouted 'shoot, Michael'. Do you know 'shoot'?' Gleń asked, as if clearly surprised that the 24-year-old Pole knows his language and the slang used on the pitch and in the neighborhood. It reminded me of the cover of 'Przegląd Sportowy' from 2000, which after Olisadebe's goal against Romania (1:1) stated, 'the black man can do it'.

Conclusion

Gleń, Baszczyński, and Wieszczycki showed that they are mentally stuck in the Middle Ages. At times, it felt like the famous song 'Makumba' by the band 'Big Cyc' was missing in the studio. Although everyone knew they were talking to a Polish person, they behaved as if they were talking to another Olisadebe or Roger Guerreiro, whose connection with our country and national team ended when they went abroad. Gentlemen, Ameyaw was born in Poland, grew up in Poland, speaks Polish no worse than you, and knows the history of our country just as well. Ours, because he is Polish, like me and you. You didn't need to comment on it or check with stupid questions. No one needed it. I don't accuse anyone of racism, but I expect reflection. The entire trio certainly had no bad intentions, but they performed just as poorly in the program as those who posted indecent comments on the internet. This cannot be justified by a poor sense of humor or a lack of basic knowledge. Yellow cards are deserved for both, although more than one referee would have shown a red card as well.