At last Uefa tackles racism

After years of campaigning by groups such as ‘Kick Racism Out’, ‘Football Against Racism’, and many others, Uefa have finally agreed that their poultry fines for those committing racial abuse both on and off the field haven’t worked.

Today Uefa General Secretary Gianni Infantino announced that his committee would propose a minimum 10 match ban for any player found guilty of racism. He also stated that if fans abused players there would be first, partial closure and full closure for a second offence plus far tougher financial penalties.

In previous years, Uefa’s record on tackling racism has been lamentable: Nickalous Bendtner was fined 80k Euros for advertising on his underwear, whilst Croatia were fined 65k Euros, for their fans' torrid abuse towards Italia’s Mario Barotelli. More recently Serbia were fined a similar amount for their fans abuse of England under 23 players last year.

The eight match ban given by the FA to Liverpool’s Luis Suarez gave the Europe’s footballing body an indicator as to what might send a clear signal to deter racial abuse. Interestingly this news came as Dynamo Kyiv were ordered by Uefa to play their next two home matches in European competition behind closed doors due to two rabid incidents of ‘racist conduct by their supporters’ at their home stadium.

Premiership football as well as much of European top flight football has now a significant number of Black player;, added to the global reach of the European game and the authorities, one suspects the games advertisers demand that its tarnished reputation be cleaned up.

Let's hope Uefa have the courage of their conviction to see this through. Players and fans alike from all over Europe and beyond will be brought into the 21st century or find themselves pariahs; banned from playing, banned from watching their favorite team.

Simon Woolley