FIFA to get tough on racism
Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:57Clubs could face points deductions or expulsion from competitions under tough new rules to deal with racism, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has warned.
Blatter has instructed FIFA's legal department to look into new ways of dealing with racist fans, players or officials and new rules will be voted on at the world governing body's Congress in June.
Speaking at a news conference in Zurich, Blatter said: "We need to start to deduct points from the teams involved. It could also mean suspension. It could also mean exclusion. A financial sanction is not an adequate measure because you can always find someone with enough money to pay the fine."
There have been numerous incidents of racism in recent seasons, often in eastern Europe but also Italy and Spain.
Last month, Messina's Ivory Coast defender Marc Zoro was reduced to tears by racist abuse from Inter Milan fans.
Blatter has already criticised Lazio's former West Ham striker Paolo di Canio for making a fascist salute to the clubs 'ultras'. Meanwhile, Blatter has altered his stance on whether clubs should be paid by national associations to release players.
FIFA are being sued by two clubs, Charleroi and Lyon, for compensation for two players injured on international duty and Blatter appeared to have changed his previously-rigid position that clubs should not be paid by national associations during the World Cup.
He said: "The national associations should not only pay their players but also think about the clubs. If the principle is established then clubs should be paid from the World Cup allocation."
Blatter said he could understand the reasoning why for example the French federation should pay clubs for players but that it would be unfair to expect poor African countries to do the same.
He added: "You cannot ask Ivory Coast to pay Chelsea for (Didier) Drogba - that would be turning the world on its head, the rich would get richer and the poor poorer."
