Racism Row: FIFA Chief Blatter In Eye Of Storm After Controversial Comment

On Wednesday Blatter was quoted as suggesting that a handshake would suffice to settle racial discrimination, and the comments have been met with a barrage of criticism from all quarters with David Beckham joining the chorus of voices raised against the FIFA President.

Adding fuel to the fire is the incidence of a couple of high profile cases of on-pitch racism. Liverpool’s Luis Suarez has been charged by the FA with racially abusing Patrice Evra while the FA and police are inmvestigating allegations of racial abuse by Chelsea’s John Terry against QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, who happens to be England defender Rio Ferdinand’s brother.

While Sepp Blatter appears unmoved, former England captain David Beckham has been quoted as saying that the FIFA president’s comments on racism were “appalling”. He added,
“A lot of people have said that. I don’t think the comments were very good for this game… can’t be swept under the carpet and it can’t be sorted out with just a handshake. I have no power over who goes or stays within FIFA and I don’t wish to have, but there obviously is racism throughout soccer and life… Being around the England team I have seen the FA do a lot of work towards kicking racism out of the game, they have made huge strides in the last 10 or 15 years but it is still there.”

England defender Rio Ferdinand engaged the FIFA chief in a row on Twitter by labelling Blatter as “ignorant”: “To say what you said about racism in football spoke volumes of your ignorance to the subject… If we want 2 stamp out racism in society a football pitch is a good place to start – loved by billions of people around the world.”

Prime Minister David Cameron backed sports minister Hugh Robertson in calling for the 75-year-old FIFA boss to resign his post. Robertson said: “It’s appalling to suggest that racism in any way should be accepted as part of the game… A lot of work has gone into ridding racism from all aspects of our society, including football. As many of our top sports stars have rightly pointed out, now is not the time for complacency.”

Speaking to Fox Soccer, Blatter pointed out that FIFA had taken the World Cup to South Africa, and added: “But if you also be a little bit in a sporting spirit when there is something happening on the field of play, during a match between two players – I call it foul language… I’m not saying about discrimination, but it’s foul language, it’s a foul play. At the end of the match, if you have foul play (when) the match is over you shake hands… and therefore also forget what has been on the field of play.”

Birmingham manager Chris Hughton, one of only two coloured managers in professional football in England, expressed surprise at Blatter’s conduct: “He almost seems untouchable. So I think that is a big concern for me, that someone in such a massively important position is able to [make such a statement] and with almost no recourse.”

Category: General, Sports News