EU kicks off anti-racism fight

MEPs have called on UEFA to empower referees to abandon football games marred by racist abuse.

Ahead of this summer’s world cup, the European parliament says referees need more power to take players off the pitch when fans make offensive taunts.

"UEFA must now give referees the power to stop or abandon matches in the event of racist abuse,” centre-right MEP Chris Heaton Harris said on Tuesday. 

"When racist incidents occur, the perpetrators always get off lightly. Perhaps these so-called fans will get the message if referees are allowed to abandon games,” added Heaton Harris, a former referee himself.

England international Rio Ferdinand teamed up with MEPs to launch the declaration in Strasbourg.

"For too long now European football authorities have not taken the problem of racism in the game seriously,” Ferdinand said in a statement.

"Just look at what happened to Samuel Eto’o. He was racially abused in the game between Barcelona and Real Zaragosa and what happened? Zaragosa were fined a paltry €9000 by the Spanish Football Federation.”

The footballer denounced football’s European governing body UEFA for paying “lip-service” to the problem of racism.

“The fines handed out after the England–Spain game were a joke,” he insisted.

"If UEFA is really serious about kicking racism out of football it should adopt some of the penalties called for in this resolution and get on with punishing those who defame the game we all love with their backward racist views.”

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