I thought it was common knowledge that referring to a Chinese person by pulling your eyes back was blatantly racist. But the Spanish basketball team apparently missed the memo. Posing for a team photo, the team thought it would be clever mimic their Chinese hosts by slanting their eyes in unison. But we can be sure that no one thinks it is clever and no one can fathom how this photo got taken without even one person considering its impact.

Spain, racism, and football have always gone together (i.e. Luis Aragones, Thierry Henry, and monkey chants). Now we can add basketball to the list. But, it isn’t just sports in Spain that has a problem. It seems the education system needs an overhaul.

Spain’s Sports, Education and Science Minister, Maria Jesus san Segundo, said of the football fans:

I think it’s unacceptable to behave like that in a football stadium but also in any other walk of life. It shows a lack of education. We’re now introducing equality lessons onto the national school curriculum. Young people have to realise that regardless of sex, colour or culture every human being is the same.

Maybe there is hope for the students back in Spain, but apparently not for the Basketball team.