Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA), has called for the implementation of an automatic loss penalty for teams whose fans commit racial abuses. This comes in response to recent incidents of racism in European stadiums.
During a match between Udinese and Milan last Saturday, the game was halted following racist chants by the home team’s fans against Milan’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Similarly, Kasey Palmer of Coventry City faced racial abuses during a match against Sheffield Wednesday in the English Premier League.
FIFA’s official account relayed statements from Infantino: “The events that occurred in Udine and Sheffield on Saturday are utterly despicable and completely unacceptable. The players affected by these events have my full support.”
He added, “We need all stakeholders to take the necessary actions, starting from education in schools so that future generations understand that this is not part of football or society.”
Further, Infantino suggested, “In addition to the three-step procedure (stopping the match, restarting the match, canceling the match), we must implement automatic forfeiture for the team whose fans commit racism and cause the match to be canceled, as well as impose a worldwide stadium entry ban and criminal charges against the racists,” in reference to demanding automatic loss for the team whose supporters make offensive remarks.
Infantino concluded: “FIFA and the game of football show their full solidarity with the victims of racism and any form of discrimination, once and for all: No to racism, no to any form of discrimination.
In response to the incidents, the French Football Federation expressed their full support for Maignan, condemning all racist acts. France captain Kylian Mbappe also offered his support, emphasizing the ongoing problem of racism in football and the need for effective solutions.
