GENEVA~ A decade ago, Kevin-Prince Boateng protested being racially harassed by fans of the opposing side by leaving the field, and this led soccer authorities impose tighten penalties for discrimination. When Black AC Milan player Boateng, during a mid-season exhibition game in 2013, refused to put up with the obscene chanting he received from supporters of a minor provincial club, his teammates stood with him.
Before retracing his steps to the locker room with his colleagues close behind, Boateng kicked the ball toward the opposition team’s supporters. Sepp Blatter, the organization’s then-president, grabbed the opportunity to call for harsher sanctions against clubs, national federations, and their teams, as well as the players involved, in cases of racism and discrimination at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
lengthier bans. points taken away. exclusion or relegation from events and competitions.
Within months following Boateng’s acts, FIFA toughened its disciplinary guidelines and established a task force to address racism. Both FIFA and the regulatory body of soccer in Europe, UEFA, imposed minimum suspensions of 10 games each. Blatter swiftly withdrew, however, from putting forceful words into fully fledged action. Would the athletic penalties stand up in court?
FIFA revised and altered its guidelines this year to benefit both parties in disciplinary proceedings. Discrimination victims are now regarded as parties to a case “who enjoy all procedural rights,” including the opportunity to challenge judgments. If accused players and teams cooperate with FIFA on an education plan “to ensure action against discrimination,” their sentence may be lowered, and to stop recurrent instances.
News on SNBC13.com
