Tomas Soucek says Rangers race row remarks "didn’t come across how I meant them"
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West Ham star Tomas Soucek claims comments he made about Andrej Kudela’s ban for racially abusing Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara were “misunderstood” and "didn’t come across how he meant them".
Kudela, who is Soucek’s Czech Republic team-mate, was given a 10-match ban for making racist comments towards Kamara during a Europa League last-16 tie between Rangers and Slavia Prague.
Speaking to Czech publication Idnes on Friday, Soucek said: “At West Ham, everyone asked me about it and why he said it (to Kamara).
“And I fought for Ondrej all the time…I believe that he did not tell him anything racist, no one proved anything about him.
“Yet a lot of people in the UK condemned him and he received a heavy sentence of ten matches from UEFA.
“I found it absurd. I know him so well that I can't imagine him saying anything racist. I see how sensitive the British are to racism every day.
“Two cultures collide because we think a little differently than they do.
“Of course, it's right they want to fight racism, but sometimes they go to such extremes that, in my opinion, it's counterproductive.”
Soucek’s original comments sparked a fierce backlash on social media, prompting the midfielder to explain his position on Twitter.
He tweeted: “My comments in a recent interview I did in the Czech Republic didn’t come across how I meant them, they were out of context and have been misunderstood.
“I am against racism in any form and am proud to play in a sport that is so diverse and inclusive.”
Soucek, who has starred for West Ham in the Premier League this season, will take on England with Czech Republic on June 22.
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