Serbian Pundit's Repeated Racist Remarks Expose World Cup Broadcaster's Failure to Act

Serbian broadcaster RTS kept pundit Rade Bogdanovic on air for a second World Cup broadcast within 24 hours of him telling viewers that black footballers "lack the concentration" to last matches, then repeating the claim when his own host pushed back live on set. The 56-year-old former Yugoslavia international was working as an expert analyst for the state broadcaster during the tournament when he made the remark while discussing Nathan Ngoy's red card in Belgium's 0-0 draw with Iran in Group G.

Only after the clip spread across social media did both Bogdanovic and RTS issue apologies. By then, the pundit had already appeared on the network's coverage of Argentina against Austria the following evening, a decision that turned a single offensive remark into a broadcaster-endorsed talking point.

What Bogdanovic actually said, and why doubling down matters more than the words themselves

The remark came during analysis of a straight red card

Ngoy was sent off in the 67th minute of Belgium's Group G opener after hauling down Iran's Mehdi Taremi, who had latched onto an underhit backpass towards goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. It was a routine, if costly, refereeing decision. Bogdanovic's response to it was not.

"I have always said those players, and I'm really not racist, but black players lack the concentration to last more than 60 to 80 minutes. When we played, we sometimes had to protect our own players to stop them making mistakes."

The phrase "I'm really not racist, but" is the giveaway. It is the standard preamble to a racist generalisation, deployed by someone who knows exactly what they are about to say and wants deniability built in before the sentence finishes.

Challenged live, he repeated the claim rather than retract it

What separates this incident from a careless slip is what happened next. The programme's host challenged Bogdanovic's comment in real time, on air, in front of a global World Cup audience. Bogdanovic did not walk it back. He doubled down, adding: "the majority lack concentration."

That single follow-up line is the most important detail in this story. A genuine off-the-cuff mistake gets corrected the moment someone points it out. Bogdanovic had that exact opportunity, live, and chose to reinforce the claim instead. This was not a slip of the tongue. It was a considered position, restated under direct challenge.

RTS's response: apology or damage control?

He stayed on air for the very next broadcast

Despite the on-air challenge and the immediate social media reaction, RTS did not pull Bogdanovic from its coverage. He was retained for the network's broadcast of Argentina versus Austria the following night, continuing in his role as if nothing had happened.

It was only once the backlash built further online that RTS acted. Both Bogdanovic and the broadcaster issued apologies, but the timeline tells its own story:

• Bogdanovic makes the remark and doubles down when challenged, live on air
• RTS retains him for its next World Cup broadcast the following evening
• Social media backlash intensifies
• Only then do Bogdanovic and RTS issue public apologies

This is reactive damage control, not institutional accountability. Nothing changed inside the broadcast until public pressure made silence untenable.

The "not an employee" deflection does not hold up

RTS attempted to distance itself from Bogdanovic by stating he was not technically an employee, but had been "engaged as an expert commentator for the duration of the tournament." That distinction is a technicality, not a defence. He was on their screens, under their editorial control, representing their coverage to millions of viewers during the biggest football tournament on the planet. Whether his contract says employee or contracted expert changes nothing about the platform he was given or the responsibility that comes with it.

RTS did offer a broader statement of regret, saying: "We would like to take this opportunity to apologise, as a broadcaster, for the statement made in our programme concerning members of a particular race." The wording is careful and institutional. It arrived only after the story had already become one the network could not contain.

A pattern, not an isolated incident

An established, credible figure made this comment more damaging

Bogdanovic is not a fringe voice with no standing in the game. He is a journeyman professional who played for Atletico Madrid and Werder Bremen, earned three caps for Yugoslavia in the late 1990s, and featured in leagues across Japan, South Korea and Abu Dhabi. He was ranked 22nd in FourFourTwo's list of the most expensive players of the 1990s. That profile is precisely why the remark carries weight beyond a single broadcast. This was not an anonymous internet troll. It was a credentialed pundit, handed a microphone by a national broadcaster during a World Cup, using pseudoscience to explain away a red card.

Football media keeps treating racism as "controversy"

The language used to describe incidents like this matters. Calling racial pseudoscience a "controversial comment" or a "slur that sparked backlash" softens what actually happened. Bogdanovic did not misspeak. He articulated a racist theory about black players' physical and mental limits, was corrected on air, and restated it. Broadcasters treating this as a PR problem to manage rather than a conduct issue to act on immediately is exactly how this kind of rhetoric keeps finding its way onto major networks during football's biggest global showcase.

What happens next

Ngoy was suspended for Belgium's Group G finale against New Zealand, which Rudi Garcia's side won 5-1 to top the group. He returned to the squad for the dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Senegal in the round of 32, an unused substitute but back in the fold, a footnote that underlines how quickly the football moved on while the broadcasting fallout was still unfolding.

For RTS, the immediate question is whether Bogdanovic continues in his role for the remainder of the tournament, and whether the network puts any editorial safeguards in place beyond a written apology. Neither Bogdanovic's statement to Reuters, in which he said he "sincerely apologises for my statement regarding black football players," nor RTS's broadcaster-level apology commits to any concrete action such as removing him from future coverage.

The broader test now falls on football's governing bodies and broadcast partners covering the tournament worldwide. If a pundit can double down on racist pseudoscience live on air, keep his seat for the next night's match, and only face consequences once a social media storm makes it unavoidable, then the accountability structures broadcasters claim to have simply are not functioning in real time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Rade Bogdanovic say that caused the backlash?
Bogdanovic said black footballers "lack the concentration" to last more than 60 to 80 minutes while analysing Nathan Ngoy's red card during Belgium's 0-0 draw with Iran. When his host challenged the comment live on air, he doubled down, adding that "the majority lack concentration."

Did RTS remove Bogdanovic from the broadcast immediately?
No. RTS kept Bogdanovic on air for its coverage of Argentina versus Austria the following evening. The broadcaster only issued a public apology after the initial remarks had already sparked significant social media backlash.

Is Rade Bogdanovic an RTS employee?
RTS stated that Bogdanovic was not formally an employee, but was "engaged as an expert commentator for the duration of the tournament." Critics have pointed out this distinction does not change the platform and responsibility he held while broadcasting to a global World Cup audience.

What happened to Nathan Ngoy after his red card?
Ngoy was suspended for Belgium's final Group G match against New Zealand, which Belgium won 5-1 to finish top of the group. He returned to the squad for the round of 32 win over Senegal, appearing as an unused substitute in the 3-2 extra-time victory.

What is Rade Bogdanovic's football background?
Bogdanovic is a 56-year-old former forward who played for clubs including Atletico Madrid and Werder Bremen, and earned three caps for Yugoslavia in the late 1990s. He also had spells in Japan, South Korea and Abu Dhabi, and was ranked 22nd on FourFourTwo's list of the most expensive players of the 1990s.

Has Bogdanovic apologised for his comments?
Yes. In a statement to Reuters, Bogdanovic said: "I sincerely apologise for my statement regarding black football players." The apology came only after the initial remarks generated widespread criticism online.

Why is this story about more than one pundit's comments?
The core issue is not just what Bogdanovic said but that he repeated the claim when directly challenged live on air, and that RTS kept him on its World Cup coverage for another broadcast before acting. It raises broader questions about how football broadcasters handle racist remarks made during live coverage of the tournament.