In a resolute stance against racism, FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasizes the need of adopting a "zero tolerance" approach and calls upon referees at all levels to halt matches in the event of such incidents.
Infantino makes commitment towards combating racism was reinforced during a meeting with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who spoke out about being a victim of racial abuse this season.
Just last month, Real Madrid lodged a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office, asserting that the racial abuse directed at Vinicius qualifies as a hate crime. This complaint followed an unfortunate incident during their LaLiga defeat against Valencia.
“It’s very important not just to talk about racism and discrimination, but to take action in a decisive and convincing manner – zero tolerance,” Infantino said after meeting Vinicius and the rest of the Brazil squad in Barcelona.
“There is no football if there is racism – so let’s stop the games”.
“The referees have this opportunity in FIFA competitions as we have this process for stopping the game, and actions have to be taken at every level, at national level as well”.
“It’s a football-related problem and we mustn’t look for excuses like: ‘It’s society’s problem, therefore, it’s fine in football.’ In the world of football, we must act in a very forceful way”.
“We want to identify racists in stadiums and across social media. They are criminals. They have to be banned from stadiums across the globe”.
“The authorities need to take these people to court and we will say this to all of them. Racism is a crime.”
