Zidane Iqbal became the first British South Asian footballer to play for Manchester United after coming off the bench in the Champions League game against Young Boys last night.
A pretty significant moment in the history of football, you would think? Not if you are BT Sport and Robbie Savage it seems.
Savage jr making his debut for the club is a big moment for him and his dad. But bigger than the first British South Asian playing for United? Not by a country mile.
The Manchester-born midfielder, who has Pakistani and Iraqi heritage, is the first British South Asian to sign professional terms at Old Trafford.
He is now the first footballer from the British Asian community to play for the club. As historic moments go, this was right up there.
By contrast, Savage jr is also deemed good enough to play for United and happens to have a dad who used to be an average Premier League player.
As news stories go, the two things don’t compare, yet Savage somehow managed to make Iqbal disappear before our very eyes.
In a matter of seconds, Savage hammered home the inequalities that persist across football by ignoring what was unfolding in front of him.
Savage has plenty of previous when it comes to bias, particularly whenever Wales are playing.
The art of journalism and broadcasting is recognising the story unfolding in front of you and reporting on this in an impartial manner.
Savage and BT Sport failed miserably on both counts.
Thursday football on TV
- Atalanta vs Villarreal – Champions League = BT Sport
- AZ Alkmaar vs Randers FC – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Alashkert vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- CFR Cluj vs FK Jablonec – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- CSKA Sofia vs Roma – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Gent vs Flora – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- LASK vs HJK Helsinki – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Partizan Belgrade vs Anorthosis Famagusta – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Zorya Luhansk vs Bodo/Glimt – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Antwerp vs Olympiakos – Europa League – BT Sport
- Fenerbahce vs Eintracht Frankfurt – Europa League – BT Sport
- Legia Warsaw vs Spartak Moscow – Europa League – BT Sport
- Lyon vs Rangers – Europa League – BT Sport
- Napoli vs Leicester City – Europa League – BT Sport
- Real Sociedad vs PSV Eindhoven – Europa League – BT Sport
- Sparta Prague vs Brondby – Europa League – BT Sport
- Sturm Graz vs Monaco – Europa League – BT Sport
- AC Omonia vs Kairat Almaty – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- FC Basel vs FK Qarabag – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- FC Copenhagen vs Slovan Bratislava – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Feyenoord vs Maccabi Haifa – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- PAOK vs Lincoln Red Imps – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Union Berlin vs Slavia Prague – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Vitesse Arnhem vs NS Mura – Europa Conference League – BT Sport
- Celtic vs Real Betis – Europa League – BT Sport
- Ferencvaros vs Bayer Leverkusen – Europa League – BT Sport
- Genk vs Rapid Vienna – Europa League – BT Sport
- Lazio vs Galatasaray – Europa League Group – BT Sport
- Ludogorets vs FC Midtjylland – Europa League – BT Sport
- Marseille vs Lokomotiv Moscow – Europa League – BT Sport
- Braga vs Red Star Belgrade – Europa League – BT Sport
- West Ham United vs Dinamo Zagreb – Europa League – BT Sport
One to watch
Steve Kean rocks up at Hibernian. Jack Ross is sacked as manager a few weeks later. Don’t say you weren’t warned Hibs fans.
Prediction
LASK, Marseille, Feyenoord and Roma look good bets to win this evening. The four-fold pays 11/4.
