News in 2006

13th March 2006

Euro MPs condemn racism

Members of the European parliament will be asking football associations to take a tougher stand on the racist abuse of players.

Over 400 members of the parliament have signed a declaration urging Uefa, Europe's football governing body, to come up with severe sanctions for those involved.

They have recommended that clubs whose fans or players are found guilty of racist behaviour be excluded from competitions.

The recent abuse of Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o by fans of Real Zaragoza served to highlight the seriousness of the problem, as the African Footballer of the Year has been constantly targeted by a section of Spanish fans.

Players from French club Racing Strasbourg, together with campaigning group Football Against Racism in Europe, will meet European Parliament president Josep Borrell and other deputies on Tuesday to discuss ways of tackling the problem.

Source: BBC