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Saturday January 28, 2006

Blatter: Dock points for racist abuse

DAVOS (Switzerland): Football clubs should be docked points if their fans or players use racist abuse because fines don't have enough effect, FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pic) said on Thursday.

“I am so disappointed. It is a shame for football that in the year 2006, you still have racism,'' Blatter told a press conference at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

“The only way to fight this is to do exactly what we have done when it came to violence. We have to take away the points because it happens in those leagues where the money is sufficient so, even if you gave a fine of US$100,000, it would be paid the next day.

“That does not change the attitude, so you have to go into a sporting sanction.''

Legal experts at football's world governing body will decide in February what measures need to be taken to strengthen FIFA's anti-racism laws, possibly including relegation, suspension or expulsion.

FIFA's executive committee will then recommend possible sanctions to national football federations at a March 17 meeting.

Former football star Pele said the problem of racism in football grounds appeared worse than when he was playing because top-class teams contain more non-white players now.

“When I started to play, we didn't see black people in other national teams, only in Brazil,'' Pele said. “Today you have black players all over the world.'' – AP

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