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FIFA, the international governing body for football, is set to investigate two separate allegations of racism arising from international matches played on Monday. These developments occur as the organization reiterates its commitment to zero tolerance for racial discrimination.
A Clear Stand Against Discrimination
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had underscored the organization's stand against racism last week, saying, "It's very important not just to talk about racism and discrimination, but to take action in a decisive and convincing manner - zero tolerance." Infantino emphasized the importance of sporting events as platforms that should foster unity rather than division.
"There is no football if there is racism - so let's stop the games," he added. This strong stance reflects the organization's established protocol that allows referees to halt matches in the face of racially motivated incidents.
The FIFA President also highlighted the need for similar enforcement at the national level, signaling the commitment of the football's governing body to actively work towards eradicating racism from the sport.
The Football Association of Ireland Responds to Racial Remarks
The commitment of FIFA to take decisive action against racism was put to the test on Monday.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) reported an incident of racial discrimination during the Under-21 international match against Kuwait. The FAI communicated through a tweet: "The FAI regrets to announce that today's U21 international against Kuwait has been abandoned after a racist remark was made by a Kuwaiti player towards one of our substitutes." The Association went on to affirm their unwavering stance against racism, expressing their intent to report the incident to the governing bodies, stating: "The FAI does not tolerate any racism towards any of our players or staff and will be reporting this serious matter to FIFA and UEFA." In response to these allegations, a FIFA spokesperson commented: "FIFA is awaiting the official reports before deciding on next steps." The spokesperson reaffirmed FIFA's zero-tolerance policy against any forms of discrimination, a stance that was emphasized by President Infantino last week.
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