VINICIUS JR has been appointed by FIFA to lead a special anti-racism committee made of players, Reuters has reported.
The Brazil and Real Madrid forward has been the target of racist abuse multiple times in Spain and he has often spoken out strongly against racial discrimination in football and the authorities’ weak efforts to tackle it.
Vinicius and the other players in the special committee will suggest stricter punishments for discriminatory behaviour in football, FIFA president Gianni Infantino told Reuters today.
In the latest incident involving the 22-year-old Vinicius, he was racially abused by fans when Real Madrid played Valencia in May, the 10th such attack against him that LaLiga has reported to prosecutors this season.
Infantino said as well as applying disciplinary and competition punishments, FIFA will also take legal action against abusers in countries where racism happens in football matches.
“There will be no more football with racism in it. The games should be stopped immediately when it happens. Enough is enough,” Infantino told Reuters today, after meeting Vinicius and the Brazil national team, who play Guinea in Barcelona on Saturday as part of an anti-racism campaign led by the Brazilian FA.
“I asked Vinicius to lead this group of players that will present stricter punishments against racism that will later be implemented by all football authorities around the world.
“We need to hear the players and what they need to work in a safer environment. We are very serious about it.
“We will implement very blunt and strong punishments to end once and for all with the problem of racism in football. We can’t tolerate racism anymore. As president of FIFA, I feel I needed to talk personally with Vinicius about it.”
Infantino insisted that measures should be taken globally to eradicate discrimination in football, with political authorities and local prosecutors putting in more effort.
“Unfortunately, racism is not a problem that exists only in Spain. It exists in many, many other countries. That is why we need to take collective measures to fight against it all over the world,” the FIFA boss added.
“We need the governments to understand that they need to educate children in school (about racism) because it’s a social problem, but it’s a football problem too.
“We need to stop the games, apply disciplinary and competitive measures and all of it needs to be coordinated with local authorities and governments.
“An act of racism is a criminal act… From now on, FIFA will take legal actions with local authorities too, we will join complaints filed in local justice.
“It’s impossible to tolerate it anymore. We need the help and support from the authorities because the racists need to be identified, detained and banned for life from any stadium in the world.
“And it’s not only in stadiums, in social media too. It’s also very serious and needs the same punishment.”
