Atkinson slammed for insulting Chinese
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-25 09:40

China's top football players angrily denounced former Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson for alleged racist statements insulting Chinese women.

Atkinson apparently told an audience in Sheffield last Wednesday that "the Chinese people have the best contraception in the world - but I can't understand why there's so many of them because their women are so ugly."

Former Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson's fresh racist statements has triggered fierce criticism. [sohu.com/file]

The remarks have drawn a heated response.

"This guy should really have never said this, he should be condemned and attacked," said veteran national striker Hao Haidong, who has been in contract negotiations with Sheffield Wednesday.

"I heard he is a habitual offender, but this kind of conduct, I think, really doesn't represent the majority, he is a special case. "

"What this guy said really shows how unmodern he is, this kind of person should be beaten black and blue and made to thoroughly shut up," Hao told Titan Sports.

Injured Manchester City midfielder Sun Jihai also jumped into the fray, attributing Atkinson's comments to jealousy over China's rising global economic and political status.

"Different races of course have differences, but what does he mean by saying this? ... This guy is no good, does he think that only whites are special?," Sun told Titan Sports.

Sun Jihai tries to break away from the defense of a Qatari defender in a group match of the 2004 Asian Cup held in Beijing, July 25, 2004. [newsphoto]

"This is like the insult to Desailly."

Atkinson was forced to resign from his role as ITV's football analyst in April last year after calling Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly a "f?￥?￥?￥?￥?￥?￥ lazy n?￥?￥ger".

The 65-year-old also lost his job as a pundit for the Guardian newspaper.

A spokesman for football's anti-racism campaign Kick It Out said: "This stuff is poisonous really. Essentially he really doesn't understand what he is doing in making these comments. They are deeply offensive.

"He seems to be consistently insulting about people because of their race. In this day and age you cannot make jokes about race."

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