The 74th Congress of the International Football Federation (FIFA) in Bangkok approved principles to fight racism in football. To combat this issue, the organization aims to implement five steps.
The first principle, named "rules and sanctions", involves including racism in the disciplinary codes of all 211 member associations with specific sanctions. The second principle, "actions on the field," includes the obligation to stop, suspend, or abandon matches in case of racism. A global gesture symbolizing racism, the crossed hands, has been introduced.
The third principle, "criminal prosecution," entails actions to recognize racism as a criminal offense so that offenders can be prosecuted by law. The fourth principle, "education," involves developing and promoting educational programs to create a future without racism. The fifth principle, "players' voice," includes establishing a group of former players to monitor instances of racism and provide recommendations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized that racism is a terrible phenomenon that exists not only in society but also in football. He expressed determination to fight against it and overcome it. Infantino highlighted that football is a game where victory is earned, and the only color that matters in the game is the color of the players' jerseys.
