Jozy Altidore says he will pray for racist fans

Striker Jozy Altidore said that he would pray for the fans who racially attacked him as his team AZ Alkmaar won 5-0 at Den Bosch in a KNVB Cup game featuring the two sides.

Den Bosch fans hurled racial abuse at the American national, who scored one out of the five goals, in the first half. The referee stopped play, but Altidore insisted that the game should go on.

In reaction to this shameful incident, Altidore said, “It’s a bit disappointing that these things still happen in this time we’re in but what are you going to do?

“You just hope that these people can improve themselves. You pray for them.

“I feel like I have an obligation as a football player, to my club, to my family, to not react to things like this and to show that the club stands better than that, that I was raised better than to respond to such ridiculous behaviour.

“It’s a bit disappointing. You would hope that we as humanity we can grow from these kind of times but at the end of the day, it’s still alive, racism. All we can do is try to educate ourselves, and try to raise young kids to be better than that.”

Altidore conduct was greatly appreciated in all quarters. His teammate Viktor Elm was quoted as saying, “I, like everybody else, am really disappointed in these supporters. It is a bad time for professional football. It is not something I have experienced in my career before.

“Jozy handled it really well. He has not been tempted to respond. He was emotional after his penalty.”