Uefa to impose 10-match bans for racist abuse

Campaigners have welcomed Uefa’s decision to bring in a minimum 10-match ban for players found guilty of racism, saying the standard sanction will avoid the inconsistencies seen in the John Terry and Luis Suarez cases.

Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino confirmed the European body is to double its minimum sanction to 10 games from next season and that all national associations are to be asked to follow suit.

In the two high-profile cases of racist abuse by players in England, Terry was banned for four matches and Suarez for eight games and Infantino confirmed Uefa now believed those sanctions were not tough enough.

The FA and Scottish FA both said they would consider Uefa’s call when the full details are published.

Professional Footballers’ Association chairman Clarke Carlisle has welcomed the move as “a fantastic start” while European anti-discrimination body FARE said the sanctions left no room for doubt.

FARE executive director Piara Powar said: “If Uefa say, ‘this for us is the standard sanction and we expect the national associations to follow suit’ it takes out all of the issues with Suarez supposedly getting a longer sanction because he’s a foreigner and Terry supposedly getting a lesser sanction because he’s England captain.”

Asked if the Terry and Suarez sanctions were not severe enough, Infantino said: “We are saying that it should be 10 matches — it has been five matches and we will double it.

“We will also submit to the whole of Uefa’s member associations asking that all our members employ the same measures as well at national level.

“The fight against racism is something that’s very serious and we have to make sure that there is correct action and not just words.”

The Uefa chief also said there would be partial closure of stadiums for a first incident of racist abuse by supporters and a full closure in the case of a second offence.

The Uefa sanctions will affect all matches in European competition from the start of next season.

Infantino added: “We have to have sanctions and they must have a deterrent effect.

“If supporters at a club are found guilty of racist abuse the first sanction will be a partial closure of the part of the stadium from which the racist abuse took place.

“For a second offence there will be the full closure and a minimum fine of €50,000.”