Racism Controversy
Onyewu has dealt with racism during his time in Europe, even having been punched and shouted at by racist fans while playing for Standard. The most well-publicized incident occurred in the 2008–09 Championship playoff when Anderlecht defender Jelle Van Damme, according to Onyewu, allegedly repeatedly called him a "dirty ape," even after Onyewu relayed the information to the referees. Van Damme denied the accusations following the match and in return said that Onyewu himself taunted him in a racist way by calling him "dirty Flemish." Approximately two weeks later, on June 2, 2009, it was announced by Onyewu's lawyer that he was suing Van Damme in an effort to end on-field racism in European football. The case was withdrawn in February 2011 after a meeting between the two players when Van Damme apologised for any offence he may have given.
Read more about this topic: Oguchi Onyewu
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