© EuroFootball.com
The FIFA president Sepp Blatter would like stricter rules to be introduced regarding fans' racism in football stadiums. The 78-year-old global football leader believes that in the fight against racism, sanctions related to sports should be taken - such as deducting points from clubs in national championships.
"Sporting sanctions are the only effective measure. Clubs must receive harsh lessons, otherwise nothing will change. Fans behaving badly must be punished, and it is perfectly clear to me that clubs are responsible for the actions of their supporters," - said S.Blatter to the BBC.
FIFA's disciplinary rules for racism in stadiums include a warning if it happens for the first time. Monetary fines, playing in a partially empty stadium or without spectators, point deductions, and even removal from tournaments are provided for repeated violations of the rules. However, the strictest measures have not yet been applied to anyone.
S.Blatter believes that football in an empty stadium is like a concert without an audience. According to the FIFA president, imposing a punishment to play in an empty stadium harms fans who are innocent, so this is not the best solution.
"Closing stadiums is a disproportional collective punishment that harms innocent fans. However, in the fight against racism, drastic measures need to be taken," - said S.Blatter.
One of the latest major racism-related scandals occurred in Ukraine, when the national team's fans in the stadium chanted sounds imitating monkeys. As a result, Ukraine had to play against Poland in an empty stadium, but the federation filed an appeal. It was not accepted, so the Ukrainians will have to serve the punishment in their upcoming home matches.
