Former footballer Rade Bogdanović, serving as a pundit on Serbian state broadcaster RTS, made racist comments about black players during Belgium's 0-0 draw with Iran at the World Cup on Sunday. The 56-year-old claimed black players lack concentration, stating: 'I've always said these players, and I'm not racist, but black players don't have the concentration to last more than 60 to 80 minutes.'
Pundit doubles down after challenge
When challenged by the presenter, Bogdanović doubled down, saying: 'If we wanted to go into details, we could. They make mistakes too. Of course I'm not generalising, but the majority lack concentration and then situations like this happen.' His comments came after Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy, 23, was sent off in the 66th minute for a professional foul, collecting just his sixth international cap.
Reaction and context
The remarks have sparked fierce criticism. Bogdanović, a former striker, also praised Iran, who secured their second consecutive point after a 2-2 draw with New Zealand. 'Iran is already a winner,' he said, expressing hope that Egypt would beat New Zealand. Egypt later won 3-1, with Mohamed Salah scoring the vital second goal, topping Group G. Belgium now face the possibility of crashing out after being held by Egypt and Iran.
