FIFA President Gianni Infantino has strongly condemned the “abhorrent” incidents of racism that occurred during football matches in Italy and England. He is calling for severe penalties, including worldwide stadium bans for fans and “automatic forfeits” for teams whose supporters engage in discriminatory behaviour.*
Infantino expressed his unequivocal support for the affected players and stated, “The events that took place in Udine and Sheffield on Saturday are totally abhorrent and completely unacceptable.”
AC Milan and France goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, faced monkey chants during Milan’s match against Udinese, causing a temporary halt to the game. In response, the French national team, including captain Kylian Mbappe, expressed their solidarity with Maignan.
Addressing the incidents, Infantino stressed the need for comprehensive action, starting with education in schools to instil values against discrimination.
He proposed implementing “automatic forfeits” for teams whose fans commit racist acts leading to match abandonment, along with worldwide stadium bans and criminal charges for the offenders.
“FIFA and football show full solidarity to victims of racism and any form of discrimination. Once and for all: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!” Infantino declared.
The issue of racism in Italian football has been a concern, with Lazio recently facing consequences for monkey chants directed at Romelu Lukaku.
In Sheffield, Coventry midfielder Kasey Palmer experienced racist abuse during a Championship clash against Sheffield Wednesday. Both clubs, along with football authorities, condemned the incidents and pledged to collaborate to address the issue.
Infantino urged swift and decisive action against racism in football, noting the responsibility of all stakeholders to contribute to eradicating such behaviour.
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