Laporte calls for fines in the battle against racism

France’s minister for sport Bernard Laporte has called for a “general mobilisation” against racism in the French football league.

Laporte has ruled out points sanctions against clubs whose supporters are found guilty of racism, but is in favour of financial penalties against sides and their supporters’ associations.

“Why not imagine that the federations or leagues financially penalise clubs or associations of supporters who are in contravention of the legislation? It is a trail to explore,” he said in Le Parisien.

Laporte said the French must clamp down and impose bans on supporters as the English authorities have done.

“We must strike hard and change the stadium bans from three months to one year,” he added.

“And why are there only 80 supporters banned from stadiums in France while there are 3,500 banned in England?”

Players in French Ligue 1 and 2 wore t-shirts bearing the slogan “Racism - Never Again!” after an incident involving Valenciennes captain Abdeslam Ouaddou two weeks ago.

Last weekend Bastia fans displayed a banner with racist comments against Libourne’s Burkina Faso player Boubacar Kebe in Ligue 2.

UEFA president Michel Platini has condemned both incidents.

“The Ouaddou affair is very serious, but it affects only individuals,” he said on France Info.

“The Kebe affair is even worse, because it was premeditated.

“The fight against racism is the issue that I want to work on as much as possible because that is something that is intolerable.”