In a significant move combating racial prejudices in the world of football, Brazilian football entity, Palmeiras, along with various other professional societies, have formally communicated with FIFA and CONMEBOL. They insist on an immediate intervention following a recent, prominent incident of racial discrimination that took place in South America.
This action was prompted by an episode of racial vilification towards Luighi, a rising star in the Under-20 team of Palmeiras, during a CONMEBOL Libertadores Under-20 match with Cerro Porteno in Paraguay on the sixth of March. The emotional imagery of 18-year-old Luighi shedding tears on the field echoes the harsh reality of racism in football, marred by monkey chants and offensive gestures targeted at him by opposition supporters.
Visibly upset with the events, the collaborating clubs from Brazil pressed on the necessity of immediate and potent methods to fight racial prejudices in the sport. Their letter, spanning 19 pages, demanded that voices of the victims and pleas from players to be seriously acknowledged. It also emphasized that such racially insensitive occurrences, like the one endured by Luighi, should not continue to be handled negligently and without subsequent consequences.
Emphasizing on the financial consequences of such incidents, the letter pointed out the meagre fine of $50,000 imposed on Cerro Porteno by CONMEBOL, the authoritative body of South American football. Additionally, its decision to prohibit supporters from attending games for the rest of the Libertadores Under-20 tournament was highlighted.
Addressed to the chief figures of FIFA and CONMEBOL like Gianni Infantino and Alejandro Dominguez respectively, as well as the legal representatives linked to these federations, the letter demanded immediate reform in their regulations. It underscored the importance of establishing effective countermeasures against racial disharmony.
The appeal doesn’t just stop at demands for updated regulations. It underlines the need for a deeper understanding of the historical context of racism in South American football. The footballing entities have presented the facts of numerous such incidents along with the penalties attributed to them, across the letter.
The letter critically regarded impunity of incidents, and the insignificant fines imposed on culprits as an issue. It asserted the inability of these penalties to dissuade this harmful behavior from clubs or individuals. Additionally, it reproached the insufficient efforts towards educating the offenders about the gravity of their actions.
The football establishment of Brazil has expressed their desire to have a direct discourse with representatives of FIFA and CONMEBOL regarding the concerns brought up in the letter. They have proffered a detailed proposal of the countermeasures they advocate for, which they hope can make a substantial difference in addressing this issue.
The clubs are calling for a reassessment of the paltry punishment dealt to Cerro Porteno, following Luighi’s deplorable experience. They further petition for prompt supervision from FIFA concerning the implementation of their anti-racism protocol.
Additionally, they propose a base penalty of $500,000 to be levied if no criminal charges are brought against those guilty of discriminatory occurrences. They believe such an escalation in fines could set a proper deterrent against these behaviours.
The correspondence referred to FIFA’s existing measures against racist chanting, instituted in 2018. The guidelines instruct match officials to initially halt the game, eventually suspend, and ultimately call off the match altogether, should the racial derogatory chanting persist.
Surprising many, the officiating referee overseeing the match between Palmeiras and Cerro Porteno did not adhere to this protocol. This gap in the implementation of the anti-racism procedures reflects another challenge to be addressed in the struggle against racism in the sport.
A noteworthy point in the correspondence was about the launch of a ‘global standard gesture’ by FIFA in 2024. The gesture constitutes crossing the arms at the wrists to form an ‘X’, which has been internationally acknowledged as a way to signal instances of racial abuse.
Cases such as Luighi’s underscore the critical need for proactive measures and regulations to counteract racial discrimination in football. Symbols of unity and strength, like the ‘X’ gesture, echo the spirit of solidarity and serve as a call to action against systemic racism.
The letter represents a collective outcry from Brazilian professional football against the persistent racial discrimination faced by its players. It serves as an urgent reminder to FIFA and CONMEBOL to implement rigorous anti-racism measures that hold individuals and clubs accountable, in an effort to make football a sport free from discrimination.