FIFA President Gianni Infantino strongly emphasizes the necessity for a “zero tolerance” stance against racism and urges referees at all levels to halt matches in the event of such incidents.
Infantino recently held discussions with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who spoke out against racial targeting he experienced during the season.
Infantino condemned the racists as “criminals” and emphasized that football authorities must take responsibility.
Real Madrid recently filed a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office, alleging that the racist abuse directed at Vinicius constituted a hate crime, following an incident during their LaLiga defeat to Valencia.
“It’s very important not just to talk about racism and discrimination, but to take action in a decisive and convincing manner – zero tolerance,” Infantino said after meeting Vinicius and the rest of the Brazil squad in Barcelona.
“There is no football if there is racism – so let’s stop the games.
“The referees have this opportunity in FIFA competitions as we have this process for stopping the game, and actions have to be taken at every level, at national level as well.
“It’s a football-related problem and we mustn’t look for excuses like: ‘It’s society’s problem, therefore, it’s fine in football.’ In the world of football, we must act in a very forceful way.
“We want to identify racists in stadiums and across social media. They are criminals. They have to be banned from stadiums across the globe.
“The authorities need to take these people to court and we will say this to all of them. Racism is a crime.”
Infantino said FIFA would set up a task force, with Vinicius taking a prominent role, to make specific recommendations.