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Former La Liga striker Rade Bogdanović has apologised after a racist comment he made during a World Cup fixture on Sunday sparked outrage online.
During the game, Bogdanović, who was working as a pundit on Serbian TV, questioned the concentration and focus of Black players.
“I’ve always said those players – and I’m really not racist – but Black players lack the concentration to last more than 60 to 80 minutes,” he said.
“When we played, we sometimes had to protect our own players to stop them making mistakes,” he added.
Another pundit pushed back on his remarks, but Bogdanović said that while he was generalising, “the majority lack concentration”.
Bogdanović and state broadcaster RTS have reportedly since apologised for the incident.
Bogdanović most notably played for La Liga side Atlético Madrid and Germany’s Werder Bremen during his career. He also made three appearances for Yugoslavia, making his debut in 1997.
His comments came during Belgium’s 0-0 draw with Iran. The result left both sides on two points with one game to play in Group G.
Egypt currently sit top of the group after sealing an important 3-1 win over New Zealand in Vancouver.
Belgium will face New Zealand in their final group game to determine whether they make it through to the knockout stages of the tournament.