5 footballers who were found guilty of racism

#4 Luis Aragones

Luis Aragones let himself down in trying to motivate Jose Antonio Reyes

Former player Luis Aragones shocked the whole of the football world when trying to motivate Jose Antonio Reyes ahead during training with Spain.

At the time, 2005, Reyes was a striker for Arsenal and one of his team-mates was Frenchman Thierry Henry. “Tell that n*gro de mierda (black s**t) from me that you are better than him. Tell him from me. You must believe in yourself; you are better than that n*gro de mierda,” was the disgusting bile that was picked up by Spanish journalists present at the training session.

Subsequently, every media outlet that covered football picked up on it and the news spread worldwide lightning-fast.

Though the evidence against him was compelling, Aragones still had the brass neck to suggest that the comments were a joke. The authorities obviously agreed for they fined him just €3,000 when a €22,000 fine and his sacking were expected.