ONTD

1:59 pm - 01/08/2013

Footballer Ruud van Nistelrooy ‘blacks up’ for Spanish hospital visit



Former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has caused a bit of a stir after ‘blacking up’ on a visit to a hospital in Spain.

The Dutch hit-man, who retired from the game in May last year, dressed up as ‘Belshazzar, King of Babylon’, to take part in the ‘Parade of the Three Kings’ in Marbella where, alongside two other ‘Kings’, he handed out presents and sweets to staff and patients.

Along with the black face paint Van Nistelrooy wore a jewelled head dress and leopard print robe for the annual event which celebrates the Three Wise Men visiting the baby Jesus.

So pleased was Van Nistelrooy with his visit, that the Dutchman took to Twitter posting several photos of his costume saying: ‘In hospital with presents for the young and old.’

However, Van’s good deed has been criticised by some who have accused the former striker of being racist.



1 2
abcdlovelife 8th-Jan-2013 08:02 pm (UTC)
this would happen in spain...
shantayustay 8th-Jan-2013 08:03 pm (UTC)
ikr
telurica 8th-Jan-2013 09:13 pm (UTC)
lol YES
mmbien 8th-Jan-2013 09:50 pm (UTC)
seriously. i work in a school there and during their xmas pageant they announced balthazar and i was shitting myself thinking it would be a teacher in blackface. thankfully it was a black actor.
cricketgrl 8th-Jan-2013 10:22 pm (UTC)
I'm more surprised this didn't happen in Mexico, considering their love of the racist comic Memin.
plutocracy_ 8th-Jan-2013 11:29 pm (UTC)
Yeah that was unfortunately my first thought, too. I live and work in Madrid and the amount of blackface (even though there are HELLO black Spaniards) is astoundingly awful.
This page was loaded May 21st 2013, 4:55 pm GMT.