Only in Soccer…
In baseball, football and hockey it’s not unusual for a struggling player to be seranaded with a chorus of boos, to be verbally assaulted and insulted, even to hear some vulgarity, but that’s usually where it ends. In the world’s most popular sport, however, things can get a bit more intense.
Former French national goalie, Fabien Barthez, was talked out of retirement to play for Nantes, but after a 2-0 loss to Rennes this past weekend put his team in last place in the French League, fear for his safety has sent him back.
A few key mistakes by the veteran goalie first led to some verbal harrassment from fans, but when a small crowd surrounder Barthez’s car while he was attempting to leave the stadium and threatened to “rub him out”, kicking the vehicle and trying to pull the goalie out, Barthez decided it was time to call it quits.
He told AP reporters that booing and whistling at him through matches could be accepted, that it was part of the atmosphere, but what he went caused him not to feel secure anymore.
The team offered him private security through the end of the season, but Barthez declined. He said he would rather leave than to have to live like that.
Nantes, soccer, Fabien Barthez, goalie
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