Platini's Words Ring Hallow
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by Tyduffy
UEFA President Michel Platini pontificated on the subject of racism in football today, stating the following.
- "We will be strong, we will not say 'please don't do that'. We will not leave space for racism in football just like we will not tolerate fighting or violence. In the past clubs have been fined and we have appealed because we thought that the fines were not enough."
When asked if punishments could include a team being expelled from a competition, Platini responded "why not?"
This is lovely rhetoric on racism, but problematic in that it is entirely devoid of substance. Like Platini's plan to reform the Champions League, he doesn't bother with trivial matters like how it will be approved or implemented.
If UEFA is seriously going to combat racism, it needs far more than fluffy feel-good statements. It needs to
- Spell out what specifically constitutes racism, as it relates to actions of both players and fans
- Institute a specific scale of punishments (based on severity of offense and type of competition)
- Make sure that said punishments are significant (i.e. Pts deductions and Expulsions) rather than meaningless symbolic fines
Even if such a plan would be challenged by individual clubs or national federations, it is worth it to place the onus upon them to have to challenge in court.
UEFA faces a grave problem that requires an equally stern soltuions. Flippant actions to recent events have been failures. In certain parts of Europe, Black players still face the threat of monkey chants and having bananas thrown at them. If Platini is serious about combating racism, he should employ his gravitas to set out systematic and logical ways to combat it. Otherwise he is just sounding his blowhorn and proving to be merely a slightly sexier version of Sepp Blatter.
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