May 9 – Just five weeks before the start of the World Cup, FIFA has given Russia a symbolic wrap over the knuckles by fining the Russian soccer federation CHF30,000 ($30,000) after fans racially abused French players during a recent game in St. Petersburg.
Russian organisers have been at pains to play down persistent allegations of discrimination but have been subject to a number of sanctions in recent months. Zenit St Petersburg have been charged twice by UEFA this season with the second case due to be judged just two weeks before the World Cup begins.
The latest punishment, which came after FIFA said it had conducted a “thorough investigation” of video evidence of the match in question, will only add to the pressure on the Russian authorities to act over an issue that simply won’t go away.
Monkey chants were aimed at black players, including Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, during France’s 3-1 win over Russia in March – at a stadium which will host seven World Cup games. FIFA said its disciplinary panel noted “the gravity of the incident but also the limited number of fans involved.”
But Anti-racism group Kick It Out warned FIFA’s “lack of effective action … will likely result in the further abuse of black players in matches involving (Russia).”
Kick It Out said it had “little confidence that FIFA can effectively deal with potential incidents of racism during this summer’s World Cup and protect those black players, staff and supporters who will be in attendance.”
While the FIFA sanction may well have been heavier, the onus now falls on World Cup organisers to be extra vigilant during the tournament with the country facing increased scrutiny after FIFA issued a rare call to fans “to come to the stadiums in a spirit of unity, peace and friendship.”
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