Blacks have been the target of racial abuse over the years. There have been various incidents where black players have been subjected to racial chants and abuses all over Europe and up till now, there has been no severe punishment to player(s) or team(s) who have been found culpable of this unfortunate scenario by FIFA or UEFA.
Players like, Patrick Vieira, Samuel Eto’O, Clarence Seedorf, Ashley Cole, Shaun Wright-Philips, Mario Balotelli, Prince Boateng, Christopher Samba are just some of the notable players who have been subjected to racial abuses at one time of their career or another. Most recently in England, was that of Luiz Suarez (Liverpool) and Patrice Evra (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea) and Anton Ferdinand (QPR).
Now, the question is, is FIFA and UEFA doing enough to clamp down on players, officials, fans or teams found guilty of racial chants, abuses or remarks? There’s no doubt that Europe stages the best of football and it`s regulated by UEFA and world football is governed by FIFA.
FIFA and UEFA over the years have taken the issues of racism just a little over the face value. Teams are not punished severely in other to eradicate and subsequently attain and maintain zero tolerance of racism in football. It has now gotten to a point where players on the same pitch even racially abuse their opponent.
In October 2000, Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira complained of racist abuse directed at him by a fellow professional, Sinisa Mihajlovic in a Champions League match against Lazio in Stadio Olimpico.
“There were a lot of bad things said to me and they all came from one player, Mihajlovic”, Vieira said.
“I was called a black bastard and a fucking black monkey. You don’t want to hear that on the pitch coming from a professional player.”
The best the Serbian defender could get is a two match ban by UEFA.
In 2004, a friendly match between England and Spain at the Santiago Bernabéu witnessed rains of racial chants and gestures targeted at several England players with Arshley Cole and Shaun Wright-Philips the major victims. Incidentally, similar incident occurred between both countries in U21 match the previous day.
Also, before the said match, Spanish National team coach, Aragones was reported to have made a racist remark directed at Thiery Henry while he was referring to Reyes. Reyes at the time was Henry’s team mate at arsenal. In the end, all that FIFA could do as punishment to the Spanish Football Federation was a fine of £44,750 only and £2,000 to Aragones. While in the same year, Cameroon wore a wrong kit to the Africa Cup of Nations and was fined £86,000.
FIFA in a statement declared that Spain could be made to play behind closed doors and or face possible expulsion from one or several of their competitions if these offenses are repeated.
This decision was largely criticized by one of Europe’s anti-racism campaign group; Kick it out, as a slap on the wrist. According to Piara Power, the groups’ spokesman;
“Our immediate reaction is this judgment doesn’t go far enough.”
“We would have expected for the Spanish to be forced to play behind closed doors and warned about any incidents of racism at future games.”
“That cuts little ice. This is no worse than a slap on the wrist. Power insisted.
“We are talking about one of the major European football nations here. This is not an impoverished football association. ”
“They could afford a heavier fine; they should have been made to play behind closed doors, which as a footballing nation, is the worst that can happen. It kills the atmosphere and revenue is lost. ”
“The chanting that night was deeply offensive and demeans human beings. ”
“This is simply not good enough by FIFA. It shows some governing bodies do not have a concerted approach to dealing with racism.”
The Chief Executive of Professional Footballers Associations, Gordon Taylor was also critical of FIFA’s decision against Spain and was surprised at the extent of leniency shown by FIFA.
“I think the general feeling in England will be one that the sanction is far too lenient, and I would be one of those who think that way,” he said.
“The Spanish FA has been given a yellow card, not the red that many would have expected.
Also, In 2004/05 season, Real Zaragoza were fined €600 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after a section of their fans directed racist abuse at Barcelona forward, Samuel Eto’o. Atletico Madrid was also fined €600 by the RFEF for the racial abuse of Espanyol’s Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni in a league match.
In Italy, Messina’s Ivorian defender, Zoro was also racially abused by Inter Milan fans and he threatened to halt the match in November 2005.
In 2007, during the European U21 Championship in Holland, England’s Nedum Onuoha was a subject of racist chants directed at him by the Serbian fans when they faced Serbia. It was also alleged that some Serbian players directed racial abuse at their opponents in the tunnel and a row ensued when England’s Matt Derbyshire scored England’s second goal as a Serbian was down injured. Reports also had it that unnamed player racially abused England’s Justin Hoyte.
UEFA fined the Serbian Football Federation £16,500 for “the racist chanting of supporters and the improper conduct of their players”. The English FA was also fined £2,000 by UEFA, following the trouble in the tunnel.
In June 2008, during the European Championship, in a quarter-final match between Turkey and Croatia, the Croatia fans were found guilty for displaying racist banner and making racist chants by UEFA and the Croatia Football Federation were fined nearly £10,000.
Also in 2008, French side, Marseille had their black players including André Ayew, Charles Kabore and Ronald Zubar racially abused by fans of Zenit Saint Petersburg; Zenit fans were later warned by police in Manchester not to repeat their behavior ahead of the 2008 UEFA Cup Final.
In September 2008, England’s Emile Heskey was a target of racial abuse by Croatia fans during a World Cup qualifying match. FIFA found them guilty and fined the Croatia Football Federation £15,000.
In 2010, premier league outfit, West Bromwich Albion signed Osaze Odemwingie, from Russia’s Lokomotiv Moscow. Shortly afterwards, the fans celebrated the sale of the Russian born Nigerian Striker by putting up a racist banner directed at the player.
More recently, in November 2011, Luiz Sarez (Liverpool) was charged by the English FA with racism which was directed at Patrice Evra (Manchester United). He (Suarez) was fined £40,000 and eight-match ban by the FA.
The most recent of the racist issue in England was the case of John terry in 2011 in a premier league match, Queens Park Rangers FC versus Chelsea FC. The Chelsea and England captain was reported to have racially abused QPR’s Anton Ferdinand and was found guilty by the FA. He was charged and banned for four matches and fined £220,000.
While the English FA have taken stringent steps to achieving zero tolerance during matches, parent football governing bodies like UEFA and FIFA have done little or nothing in achieving or even complementing same. For instance in 2012, England and Serbia U21 played a game that witnessed yet another public racial banter.
The Serbian fans rained racial abuses to English black players. UEFA banned two England players and four Serbian players and also fined the Serbian Football Federation £65,000. This has been criticized as being too lenient despite calls for severe punishment if there was proof of racism. But Denmark’s Nicklas Bendtner was fined £80,000 for displaying sponsors logo of his underwear during the Euro 2012.
Just this 2012/2013 season, Inter have already been fined £43,000 (50,000 euros) by Serie A officials after their fans were found guilty of racially abusing former Inter players Mario Balotelli and Sulley Muntari, who now play for AC Milan, in the Milan derby in February.
Earlier this season Lazio were fined by UEFA on two separate occasions for the behaviour of their fans, including racist chanting, during Europa League group matches against Spurs. You can also remember that a Milan player, K.P Boateng had suffered racist remarks that prompted him and his team mates to leave the pitch and abandon the match. The match was a pre-season game in Italy.
And now, as at the time of this write up, UEFA have charged Inter Milan over “racist behaviour” of their supporters during Europa League tie against Tottenham Hotspur at the San Siro. They were also accused of “insufficient organization” and “throwing of missiles and/or fireworks”.
Monkey chants were reported during the tie in Milan, which Spurs won on away goals (despite the Nerrazuri 4-1 thrashing of their opponent), and an inflatable banana was also seen in the crowd.
I hope UEFA will take this as a stepping stone to set a good example by handing severe punishment to teams who are found guilty of racism.
There are many ways by which teams can be punished such that the severity will go a long way in sending a strong signal to other teams. Punishments, such as, point deduction, playing behind closed doors, bans and suspension from competition, fines etc. Punishment such as playing behind closed will have very strong financial impacts on the teams, which is more than just fining them alone.
England is the only country in Europe where punishment to players who has been found guilty of racist remarks have been somewhat severe going by the John Terry and Luiz Suarez cases respectively. FIFA and UEFA should emulate this bold step by the FA and even do more. FIFA and UEFA should be the one to set example for football associations to follow and not the other way.
We need to wipe racism completely out of football. It should not for any reason exist in football matches, if football governing bodies had taken stringent steps in tackling this menace. Nobody is superior to the other.
We are all humans and should be respected no matter the colour. The colour that flows inside us is red irrespective of our race outside. We cannot achieve success in battling this menace without the full, committed and undiluted support of FIFA, UEFA and other football governing bodies.
It is time for the world football Governing body FIFA and UEFA to step up its disciplinary measures if we are to achieve success in the fight against racism.
Football Associations also have to set up anti-racism campaign and awareness so as to encourage fans to stand against racism.
If it is unacceptable outside, it should not be acceptable in the pitch or stadium.
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