Rangers ace Glen Kamara opens up on racist abuse of Ondrej Kudela a year later –

RANGERS star Glen Kamara reflected on the racial abuse suffered by Ondrej Kudela over the course of a year.

The Finnish midfielder suffered discrimination on the pitch during the Europa League draw between club Ibrox and Slavia Prague on 18 March 2021.

After denying the incident, Czech international Kudela was ultimately banned for ten games by UEFA after an investigation.

Whispering in Kamara’s ear, the Rangers pleaded guilty to racially molesting Kamara after calling the ace a “monkey”.

Naturally, scenes of anger between the Rangers players and Kudela ensued as the game drew to a close.

Steven Gerrard is also seen consoling his player after the final whistle and having candid conversations with Slavia’s coaching staff on the sidelines.

Kamara was visibly shaken by the abuse but continued to play until the end of the match.

In a nearly ten-minute interview with Marvin Bartley at Ibrox, Kamara spoke to Sky Sports about her feelings in the moments following the event.

Strong. Active. Emotional.

A year after that incident with Ondrej Kudela, Rangers’ Glen Kamara recounts what he experienced after that night and why he would leave the pitch if it happened again 👇 pic.twitter.com/urN7wmRqj6

– Sky Sport Scotland (@ScotlandSky) March 18, 2022

“We were behind like 2-0, 1-0, yellow cards and red cards flown in the match. It’s starting to get a little hostile. I think he has committed a foul on a player right in front of him. Me and all the others ran as “referee, yellow card … pa, pa, pa” ..

“He said ‘silence’ and I said ‘oh, big man’. Just kidding. It was like, ‘Stop it, man. He came and he whispered to me what he said. my ear and yes, I reacted.

“Everyone could see the shock on my face when it happened. My teammate Bongani Zungu was there and heard about it. How many emotions went through my head at that moment.

“Probably anger, embarrassment, something that shouldn’t be. We are on the soccer field. If I had heard from one fan, I would have bought more. A player … How does it happen, why? should this be it?

“So many different emotions went through my head. The manager spoke to me and said: ‘Do you want to leave the pitch?’ It was like but I couldn’t hear him, he was constantly screaming my name – and I’m right next to him – but I couldn’t hear anything.

“I just had tunnel vision. What is happening? How was it? It was on TV, my family and friends were watching … It’s embarrassing for someone to tell me and get away with it. ”

He continued: “This is crazy. We should not. [ever feel like that]. “Why do I feel this way?” I remember thinking. I was very angry and a little embarrassed. Because I’m ashamed?

“I’m here like everyone else who plays. Why do I feel this way? That’s exactly how I felt then. I do not know. It is hard to explain.”

As Bartley told Kamara in the interview, God forbid such an event should ever happen again.

But the Gers midfielder admits that if that had been the case, he would certainly have left the pitch with a clearer mentality.

When asked if he wanted to leave, he replied: “Yes. The manager called me and said, ‘Do you want to leave the pitch?’ he was trying to say, “I’ll help you. I wish I was, knowing it would bring the competition to a point where what are we doing here? Are we firing them?

“Are we overtaking the Rangers? Or something similar? This would put them in a situation they have probably never been in before. There were few players left then. I wish I did. ”

A few weeks after the abuse, Rangers played against Celtic in their third game of the year with the Old Firm at Parkhead.

The match ended 1-1 and was relatively forgettable.

Before the game, however, then club captain Scott Brown had a touching hug with Kamara during the warm-up.

He stepped in to hug the GERS star and send him a message of support.

It’s something Kamara will always appreciate.

“I think it’s a good feeling. From actor to actor, I really respect him. I appreciate it.”

Source: Herald Scotland

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