FIFA president wants to stop games in cases of racism

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said it was imperative to stop matches when players were the target of insults and announced the creation of a working group against racism in which the Brazilian striker Vinícius Juniorfrom Real Madrid, will have a leading role.

Fifa confirmed this Thursday (15th) that Infantino met with members of the Brazilian national team and with the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues, in Barcelona, ​​where he spoke forcefully against racism and confirmed the creation of the working group, which will work with FIFA to formulate specific recommendations.

The Brazilian team will play a friendly against Guinea next Saturday (17th), in Barcelona.

“If there is racism, there is no football. Therefore, we will stop the games. Referees have this prerogative in FIFA competitions, just as we have this process of stopping the game, and measures must be taken at all levels, also at scale Everyone needs to understand that and we will go, together, until the end”, said Infantino.

According to Fifa, the leader insisted that “it is very important not only to talk about racism and discrimination, but to take measures in a decisive and convincing way: zero tolerance”.

“FIFA is together with the Brazilian Football Confederation and with all players in this fight. It is important to introduce sporting sanctions and I congratulate the CBF for having already done this”, he said, indicating that it is time for football authorities to assume responsibility.

For the president of FIFA, “it is a problem related to football” and excuses should not be sought such as “it is a problem of society and, therefore, there is no problem in football”. “In the world of football, we have to act with force,” he insisted.

Throughout this European season, Vini Jr was the target of racist insults in several Spanish stadiums and the player even faced some of the authors of the insults at the stadium of the Valenceon May 21, in a match of the Spanish Championship, which led to the interruption of the game for a few minutes.

Also this season, before the Copa del Rey derby against Atlético de Madrid, a banner was hung from a bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground in Valdebebas, along with a doll representing the Brazilian.

La Liga requested more powers to be able to act in cases of racism, intolerance or violence, after reporting these facts, which are under investigation by the Justice, and others in which Vinícius and other players were the target of racist insults.