September 11 – UEFA president Michel Platini has taken a veiled swipe at FIFA’s zero tolerance approach towards racism at the World Cup.
“It’s all well and good to create committees and task forces but you will get nowhere without infrastructure and… rules,” the Frenchman said in his keynote address to the UEFA-organised Respect and Diversity conference in Rome, attended by more than 200 representatives of member associations, leagues, clubs and minority groups.
Some fans in Brazil were heard to chant homophobic slurs while small pockets of others banners with far-right symbols – none of which resulted in sanctions.
“UEFA has a monitoring system for all high-risk matches and unlike at the World Cup in Brazil, zero tolerance is really put into practice,” Platini said. “Gone are the days of football in Europe for middle-age white chauvinists.”
But he admitted that UEFA was some way off from eliminating racism once and for all.
“This is the fourth conference of its kind in 11 years. UEFA and myself are not able to feel proud about this because, to be honest, it is the admission of failure.
“Racism remains a feature of both our society and football but at least we can say we are the first organisation to have put this issue on the agenda in this way.”
The conference was hosted by the Italian football federation whose newly-elected president, Carlo Tavecchio, sparked controversy with his recent reference to bananas when referring to foreign players in Italy from Africa.
UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Tavecchio who is a member of its youth and amateur football committee.
“He said things which caused astonishment and disapproval and UEFA decided to open an investigation so I should not comment further,” said Platini.
Tavecchio has apologised for his comment and insisted he is not racist. He has decided not to participate in any UEFA activities until any sanction is handed down and did not turn up at the conference – even though his federation was the host.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734798104labto1734798104ofdlr1734798104owedi1734798104sni@w1734798104ahsra1734798104w.wer1734798104dna1734798104