Players' union: FIFA has eased up on racism
Reuters - Thursday 17 November 2011, 19:47
FIFA appears to have relaxed its
efforts to fight racism since the 2010 World Cup, the world
players' union FIFPro said on Thursday, adding that Sepp
Blatter's remarks on the matter had been "clumsy".
The 75-year-old Swiss has been widely criticised after
saying in two television interviews on Wednesday that there was
no racism in football and that players involved in racist
confrontations on the pitch should settle their differences with
a handshake at the end of the match.
FIFPro said it had worked well with football's governing body
to battle racism until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but
that since then FIFA had gone quiet on the issue.
"FIFPro has been fighting racism for many years now and
tries to convince the football world of the fact that all men
are equal, that racism does not belong to football nor to
society," the Netherlands-based organisation said in a
statement.
"In the past FIFPro successfully worked together with FIFA
in the fight against racism, but since the 2010 World Cup in
South Africa, FIFA has hardly made itself heard on this fight,
which is rather sad.
"The fact is that it is not sufficient to have both captains
read out a declaration before the beginning of the match, under
the watching eye of the whole world, as was done during the
quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup.
"This battle is not so easy to win. This battle has to be
fought continuously, and not only during the World Cup."
FIFPro agreed with Blatter that players did not always
behave well on the pitch but said there was a limit.
"The statements of Mr. Blatter are, to put it mildly, rather
clumsy," said FIFPro.
"There is a bottom line which should not be crossed. There
are things that you cannot just solve by shaking hands after the
end of the match, as Mr. Blatter suggests.
"Unfortunately racism remains a huge problem in football,
both on the pitch and in the stadiums. FIFPro is well aware of
this and so is Mr. Blatter."