adminCAIRO. —Fifa president Sepp Blatter called for tougher punishment for teams and associations found guilty of racism and discrimination yesterday and said monetary sanctions were increasingly ineffective.Statutes allowed for stiffer sanctions which now had to be implemented as the battle against “the scourge of racism and discrimination is not being won”, he told the Confederation of African Football congress.
“We have to punish not only through fines and stadium closures but we have to use our rules to suspend teams, to take away their points or even to relegate them if racism continues,” Blatter said.
Blatter reminded African countries of extensive financial support to the continent’s football associations from world football’s governing body as he opened the congress in a Cairo hotel on Tuesday. “Together we have built football in Africa,” said Blatter. “We Fifa have invested about $760 million in Africa.” Blatter, who is expected to get extensive support from the continent’s 54 countries when he stands for re-election next month, said Fifa had spent some $700 million on various programmes across Africa.
“We should maybe spend more to prepare a better future for the children,” he added, mirroring the promises of his three rivals in the Fifa election. — AFP/Reuters.
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