In the picture, Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior reacting after missing a scoring chance during the Champions League Semi-final, Spain, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. ( AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
FIFA is urging all 211 national soccer federations to treat racist abuse as a serious disciplinary offense and adopt a new signal for players to use when they experience racism. This gesture, crossing hands over the head, was first used by U.S. athlete Raven Saunders at the Tokyo Olympics to highlight oppression.
The announcement, made on Thursday, follows extensive consultations with players, including Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, who has faced significant racial abuse. FIFA is encouraging players to use the crossed hands gesture, despite its controversial history at the Olympics, to visibly call out racism during matches.
Teams with fans or players who engage in racist behavior could face severe penalties, such as game forfeiture, typically resulting in a 3-0 loss. These measures are part of a five-pillar strategy to combat discrimination, which will be presented to FIFA member federations at their annual meeting in Bangkok on Friday.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had promised a global initiative against racism and consulted with Vinícius Júnior, who has been repeatedly targeted by racist fans in Spain. The abuse has taken a toll on Vinícius, who was visibly emotional at a press conference before a friendly match between Spain and Brazil.
FIFA emphasized the need for a unified commitment to address racism in soccer in a letter to its member federations. The organization also plans to establish a panel of players to oversee and guide the implementation of these anti-racism measures globally.
Soccer has long struggled with racism in stadiums, facing challenges in coordinating on-field responses and disciplinary actions. Leaders in countries like Italy and Spain have often denied the existence of a racism problem in soccer, and investigations into racist incidents have sometimes been dismissed due to lack of evidence beyond player allegations.
Black players who reported racial abuse and attempted to leave the field have sometimes been penalized with yellow cards. FIFA’s new proposal includes the crossed hands gesture as a signal for referees to initiate a three-step process when racial abuse occurs: pausing the game to broadcast warnings, removing teams from the field, and ultimately abandoning the match if necessary. This process would be mandatory for all federations.
The gesture's origin traces back to Saunders' demonstration at the Tokyo Olympics, which led to an investigation by the International Olympic Committee. However, the investigation was halted after Saunders' mother passed away. FIFA hopes that by adopting this gesture, it will provide a clear and powerful response to racism in soccer.
