Webb’s anti-racism policy gets nod from FIFA
CNS): FIFA Member Associations have approved the anti-racism and discrimination resolutions proposed by the governing body’s newly-formed task force, chaired by FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb, during its 63rd Congress held in Mauritius on Friday. Speaking at the conference, Webb said he wanted this to be the defining moment when football stood up against racism and discrimination. “Let us all show the world that the football family is committed to continuing its evolution into an anti-discrimination, multi-cultural organization that promotes positive role models to society,” he said.
With the objective to constantly improve the game and promote the values associated with the sport, the federations have agreed to adopt and implement the proposed resolutions throughout the world, in every region and every country where football is played, which will bring universality to the mechanisms that combat racism and discrimination.
FIFA President, Joseph Blatter stressed the importance of the fight against discrimination. "There have been despicable events this year that have cast a long shadow over football and the rest of society," he said. "I am speaking of the politics of hate – racism, ignorance, discrimination, intolerance, small-minded prejudice.”
He also expressed a hope that, through “the newly formed Task Force, led by Jeffrey Webb, and the tough resolution before you this week, we can send a strong signal to the racists that their time is up. The ball does not discriminate and neither should we.”
Adding to FIFA’s robust regulatory framework and Code of Conduct, the task force will support the governing body in applying its zero tolerance policy and strengthening its long-standing fight against discrimination worldwide. It will also remind the member associations about their obligation to apply the sanctions provided for in the FIFA Statutes and the FIFA Disciplinary Code as part of their responsibility to eliminate racism and discrimination in football within their jurisdiction.
“We, as a family, have met various challenges over this long journey to expand the passion for football throughout the world, which started 108 years ago,” Webb told the audience. “In 1976, the football family stood together and took action against apartheid. Likewise, the 1986 Congress in Mexico has gone down in history as a decisive moment for the world governing body to take a stance against women’s inequality within football.”
The following measures shall be implemented on a global level in football:
EDUCATION: competition organizers shall establish a concrete action plan, showing their intention to fight all forms of racism and discrimination among their players, officials and supporters.
PREVENTION: Competition regulation shall foresee a specialized official to be in the stadium to identify potential acts of racism or discrimination with the aim of easing the pressure on referees and facilitating the availability of evidence for the judicial bodies to take decision.
SANCTIONS: The sanctions provided for in the FDC, which are mandatory for all member associations in accordance with the FDC, offer relevant judicial bodies the necessary discretion when deciding on specific cases of supporter misconduct. However, in order to harmonize the pronounced sanctions on a worldwide level, the sanctions imposed on a club or representative team shall in principle be issued in a two-stage approach:
For a first or minor offence, the sanctions of a warning, a fine and/or the playing of a match behind closed doors shall be applied. For re-offenders or for serious incidents, sanctions such as point deductions, expulsion from a competition or relegation shall be applied.
Furthermore, any person (player, official, match official, etc.) who commits such an offence should be suspended for at least five matches combined with a stadium ban as foreseen in the FDC.
Category: Sports
If a bunch of white folk go to Africa to play soccer and the crowd taunts them, no big deal, but God forbid the other way round. the worst offenders in all of this are politically correct white people. The rest of us don't really care what you call us. Play your racist games. God does not discriminate.
Ummm…I think these measures are aimed at all racism whether it is in Hamburg or Timbucktu.
Congratulations to Cayman's Jeff Webb in putting forward this bold and necessary resolution against racism and discrimination. It is good to see that it has been embraced by FIFA. Surely it will prove to be to the betterment of the organisation as a whole. Well done Jeff.
There is no such thing as "racism in football".
Blatant and aggressive racism is simply part of the culture of many European (amongst others) countries. Therefore, what we see on the pitch and in the stadium is nothing but a manifestation of that reality.
No one buys and stuffs a banana down his pants on the way to the stadium, walks through the gates and decides – okay, I will be a racist today … for the sake of the game.
Personally, I don't know what to make of these proposals, for essentially, at times like these, I promote authentic expression of one's perspective – regardless of how despicable. (E.g. I would much prefer to have a pint with Nick Griffin or "Tommy Robinson" than some spineless, closet racist any day.)
Granted, when mob culture and professional sports are included in the equation such expressions can have unwanted results so free expression is clearly not the answer in this context.
However, the above proposals, if successful, will simply suppress racist attitudes for the 90 minutes of a game, only to reappear in another form at another time.
Considering what is taking place in the UK and across the EU today, it is very sad to see how little they have advanced in the 21st century.
And you aren't stereotyping or racist either? You just like ranting against the UK it seems. Africa & the Caribbean have racism too, you know?
So your solution to the blatant racism both on the terraces and on the pitch would be what Whodatis?
At least its a step in the right direction!
It is not my responsibility to address the fact that so many people in certain parts of the world proudly value others by the color of their skin … in 2013.
I pity any entity that is under a duty or pressure to do so – such as FIFA.
Personally, I consider it an indictment of the common mindset of the community in question.
It is what it is.
Politically correct nonsense. The problem with this kind of so-called initiative is that it always backfires and gets interpreted as racial favouritism. For years there's been a saying in the UK that if a black man hits a white man it's a mugging but if the white man fights back it's a racial attack and that has gone beyond the point of being a joke any more. The balance has been lost now and that just plays into the hands of the racists.
Wow. Aggressive criminal blacks attacking innocent whites who merely fight back in self defence. Do you have any idea how racist that 'saying' sounds?
No, the poster doesn’t.
Therein lies the problem with racists.
Most lack the decency and humanity to identify the shortcomings in their nature.
Like you and your inability to say "I was wrong" when shown to be so previously on CNS.
Ok, now we're just getting silly.
Nevertheless, I am sure the racists are happy to know they can depend on you to support and justify their behaviour.
Nice sweeping generalisation there. Crowd racism in football is a more of a problem in some countries than others. But the UK has almost no issues in this regard (Urguayan strikers aside) and any that do arise from time to time are dealt with very quickly and firmly by clubs and the authorities.
There is no such thing as a "sensible post from Whodatis". What Joey Ebanks was to the radiowaves, Whodatis is to the internet.
You seem to spend a lot of your time and energy focused on what you consider to be senseless characters.
Not the actions of a wise person …but hey, do you, buddy!
;o)
Don't worry, it only takes seconds to skim through your usual bitter drivel.