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FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, took a firm stand against racism in football at the recent UEFA Congress in Paris.
In a poignant address, Infantino underscored the urgency of combating racism within the sport, highlighting the divisive and aggressive nature of our world. His call to action was clear: the football community must unite to eradicate racism once and for all.
A unified call against racism
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Infantino's speech was concise yet powerful, focusing solely on the pervasive issue of racism in football. "We live in a divided world... our world is aggressive," he remarked, pointing out the alarming frequency of racist incidents in recent times. Emphasizing the inacceptability of these actions, Infantino declared, "Racism is a crime, racism is something terrible," urging the football community to take decisive steps toward its eradication.
Proposing concrete actions
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The FIFA President outlined existing measures, such as the three-step process referees can employ to address racism during matches, including stopping, interrupting, or even abandoning games. He advocated for stricter disciplinary actions, suggesting forfeits for teams responsible for game abandonment due to racism, initiating criminal charges against perpetrators, and imposing worldwide stadium bans. Beyond punitive measures, Infantino highlighted the importance of investing in education to tackle the societal roots of racism.
Infantino proposed a collaborative effort to develop a comprehensive resolution against racism, calling on all 211 FIFA member countries to unite at the upcoming congress in May in Bangkok. "Let's stop racism, let's stop it now, let's do it all together in a united way," he concluded, setting a three-month timeline for collective action against one of football's most pressing issues.
It is not the first time in recent weeks that Infantino has called on football authorities to take stronger actions on racism.
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15:59 - 24.01.2024
Why Infantino's plan is the way to curb racism in football stadiums
The FIFA president has called for stronger action after different cases of racism in Italy and England over the weekend.
Following the recent racist abuse AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Coventry star Kasey Palmer suffered, The FIFA president suggested that clubs whose fans are guilty of racist abuse should forfeit points
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