FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has called for an ‘automatic forfeit rule’ for teams whose supporters engage in racist abuse. His comments came in the wake of Wednesday’s ‘absolutely unacceptable’ incidents involving supporters of Udinese and Sheffield.
AC Milan’s players left the field after France international keeper Mike maignan claimed to have heard monkey sounds coming from a fan section at the Stadio Friuli.
Coventry’s Kasey Palmer said he received similar abuse at Hillsborough, and their 2-1 win was stopped for several minutes while the match officials spoke to both managers.
“As well as the three-step process (match stopped, match restarted, match abandoned), we have to implement an automatic forfeit for the team whose fans have committed racism and caused the match to be abandoned, as well as worldwide stadium bans and criminal charges for racists,” Infantino said in a FIFA post on X.
“FIFA and football show full solidarity to victims of racism and any form of discrimination. Once and for all: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!
“The events that took place in Udine and Sheffield on Saturday are totally abhorrent and completely unacceptable. The players affected by Saturday’s events have my undivided support.
“We need ALL the relevant stakeholders to take action, starting with education in schools so that future generations understand that this is not part of football or society,” Infantino added.
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