Blatter Clamours Sanctions for Racism

Blatter Clamours Sanctions for Racism

Monday, May 12, 2014 4:11 pm


Head of football’s world governing body FIFA, Sepp Blatter has called for national associations to always impose sanctions on acts of racism in order to reduce incidents at football matches.

The FIFA President made the plea today in a tweet, stating “Racism, and games stopped/abandoned due to acts of
hooliganism. Each federation needs to act. Sanctions are available & HAVE to be applied.”

Blatter’s statement comes after the incidents at an Italian Serie A match between Atalanta and AC Milan as well as in a Russian league match between title chasing Zenit St. Petersburg and Dynamo Moscow.

The incident in the Serie A match saw bananas thrown on the pitch near Milan’s Guinean defender Kevin Constant while in Russia, fans of Zenit encroached the pitch towards the end of the match which Zenit was losing 4-2 with seven minutes left to play.

The incident in Italy comes within three weeks of Levante’s Papakouli Diop being racially abused in a Spanish league match against Atletico Madrid and Barcelona defender Dani Alves eating a banana thrown at him during another Spanish league match against Villarreal.

The FIFA President also extended his condolence to families in the DR Congo whose loved ones died in a stampede during a league match between rivals AS Vita and TP Mazembe.

About 15 fans reportedly died in the stampede with more injured as fans tried to get away from tear gas cannisters fired by the Police with the match in stoppage time.


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