Fifa’s severe and radical proposal to combat racism in world football

The fight against racism in sports is an issue that has taken on special relevance due to campaigns of zero tolerance for these acts. In football, Fifa announced this Thursday a proposal to try to mitigate discriminatory acts in scenarios around the world.

clear message

“The time has come for football, univocally as a global community, to commit to eradicating the scourge of racism from our sport,” says the statement announcing the proposal for an anti-racist protocol and calls on all 221 federations to help identify and classify acts of racism as a crime.

The proposal, supported by 5 pillars, seeks to ensure that both the federations and the players commit to applying the measures severely to discourage fans who want to attend matches from committing racist acts.

This follows a trend of athletes who, increasingly, join the rejection of racism in sports venues and on social networks. athletes like Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid star; or Serena Williams, They have had to publicly declare their rejection of the acts to make them visible and to be reproached.

The five pillars of the proposal

Firstly, the highest authority in football will define the regulations and sanctions that will be implemented in the future in all scenarios. To this end, he urges actors to include the crime of racism in the disciplinary codes of each federation. “The infraction will differentiate racism from other violations and will impose specific and rigorous sanctions on all racist acts,” Fifa communicates.

Although it is not said how it will work, this pillar also understands the automatic defeat of a team when it, or its fans, commits any act of racism.

Secondly, it seeks to commit all those involved in sport to fully follow the different measures that will be imposed. The Fifa orders to suspend the matches, if necessary permanently, in the event of an act of racism.

Besidesurges players to cross their arms in the shape of an ‘X’ when they are victims of a racist act in order to begin the protocol that will be established and of which the referees must be fully aware.

The third pillar has to do with a request from the Federation that “any racist act that occurs on or off the field be criminally pursued with the firmness it deserves.”

Fourthly, as a pedagogical measure, it calls on all countries to implement pedagogical initiatives created and promoted by Fifa in schools and educational centers, since, according to them, “no child is born racist.”

Finally, the creation of the Players Panel against racism was announced in which footballers who are no longer active will “advise and supervise implementation around the world.”

These measures were announced at the Fifa congress that is taking place in Bangkok and which has already given several changes to world football for the future.