FIFA’s New Anti-Racism Measures Represent Progress but Require Enforcement

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: May 31, 2013

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That unfamiliar sensation filtering down from FIFA's inner sanctum on this otherwise unremarkable Friday? Believe it or not, it's progress.

Now, though, we wait to see whether progress will mean action.

In a vote backed by a 99 percent super-majority at its Congress in Mauritius, FIFA has adopted stern, new measures meant to combat racism in football. According to the new guidelines, the most serious cases—as well as repeat offenders—can receive punishments ranging from points deductions to relegation or expulsion from competition, according to BBC Sport.

Fighting racism has become a key issue in recent times for FIFA, though the world governing body has not always produced positive responses. In November 2011, FIFA president Sepp Blatter suggested "there is no racism" in football and said a player facing racism on the pitch should shake hands with the abuser, via The Telegraph.



In January of this year, AC Milan's Kevin-Prince Boateng walked out of a friendly against Pro Patria after being subjected to racist chants from Pro Patria's fans. Pro Patria's punishment was to play one match behind closed doors—or in other words, in front of no fans.

At the time of the Pro Patria incident, Guardian writer Amy Lawrence criticized the measures used to combat racism. Her opening paragraph read like a rallying cry:

Slogans. Paltry fines. Captains reading out prepared statements over the Tannoy. More paltry fines. T-shirts. Even more paltry fines … When nothing meaningful changes, when words appear to fall on deliberately deaf ears, when punishments are forgotten as quickly as a hastily written cheque, when the authorities do not help, eventually there comes a time for direct action.

Fortunately, Friday's news qualifies as positive action. Thankfully, Blatter himself is at the head of the effort.

Speaking to the delegates, Blatter hinted that the or...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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