Ruud Gullit has reportedly issued a response to the Dutch fans who did a blackface tribute for the 1990s football legend at Euro 2024 on Sunday.
The Netherlands beat Poland 2-1 and in the crowd there were three supporters – all white men – seen with their faces painted black and wearing fake dreadlocks.
The trio also wore fake mustaches and retro Netherlands shirts to fully recreate Gullit’s iconic look from Euro 1988, a year that saw the Dutch clinch the trophy.
Blackface, the practice of wearing make-up to look like a black person, was associated with minstrel shows in the United States from the 1830s until the mid 20th century and is regarded by many as highly offensive in modern-day society.
Gullit, though, who scored 17 goals in 66 games from 1981 to 1994 for the Netherlands and is adored in Holland, has not been personally offended by the actions of the three Dutch fans on Sunday and has taken a much different stance.
The 61-year-old, who was born in Amsterdam and had a Dutch mother and Surinamese father, ‘actually felt honoured’ by Sunday’s blackface tribute.
That’s according to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf but Bart van de Ven, one of the three men who dressed up as Gullit, says he will no longer do blackface make-up.
‘Maybe I made a mistake or it’s a blind spot,’ Van De Ven told DutchNews about his cosplaying of the former AC Milan and Chelsea star after receiving backlash.
‘The last thing I want to do is hurt people and that’s why I’ve decided to stop.
‘I’ve had a lot of really nice responses as well, but clearly there is a group who feel differently.
‘I have to respect that and listen to it. The last thing I want is for people to have a certain unpleasant association with my act.’
Blackface is a controversial topic in many countries and the Netherlands is no different, with the ‘Zwarte Piet’ tradition causing intense debate in the nation.
In the United Kingdom, TV shows like Little Britain and Come Fly With Me have attracted controversy due to their use of blackface.
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