LONDON — Former England defender Sol Campbell has warned fans against travelling to Poland and Ukraine to watch the European Championship, claiming authorities have failed to tackle entrenched racism and violence in the countries.
Campbell, who is black, tells the BBC "stay at home, watch it on TV. Don’t even risk it … because you could end up coming back in a coffin."
The families of two of England’s black players, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, have indicated they are unlikely to travel to the Euros because of fears of racist abuse.
After witnessing footage of fans from the host countries giving the Nazi salute and taunting black players with monkey noises, Campbell says UEFA was wrong to award the tournament to Poland and Ukraine.
