European football united against racism

The Professional Football Strategy Council (PFSC), composed of representatives of Europe's national associations (UEFA), clubs (ECA), leagues (EPFL) and players (FIFPro Division Europe), unanimously adopted the below resolution aimed at combating racism and discrimination in football during its meeting on 27 March in Sofia, Bulgaria. This resolution was also ratified by the UEFA Executive Committee today in Sofia.

European football united against racism
The PFSC supports a zero tolerance policy and steps up the fight against racism in football by approving the following resolution.

The Professional Football Strategy Council:
• Takes note that the current education/prevention measures as well as the existing disciplinary framework have improved the situation compared with the past but are still not preventing recurrent incidents of racism

• Recognises that many countries have taken significant and successful action but that such incidents are still widespread in our continent

• Calls on UEFA, national associations and leagues to legislate for stricter sanctions regarding racism

• Calls on disciplinary bodies to apply such stricter sanctions in cases of proven racism and to seek ways of obliging those sanctioned to take future preventive action

• Reiterates its recommendation that competition organisers in Europe apply the guidelines issued by UEFA on how to deal with racist incidents during matches

• Recommends, and fully supports, referees stopping matches in cases of racism and calls on national associations and leagues to do the same

• Calls on national associations, leagues, clubs and player unions to review and improve their measures for education regarding racism

• Commits itself to further support and strengthen current anti-racism initiatives at both European and national level

• Calls on the players and coaches – namely those with most influence on the perpetrators of racist acts – to speak out, even if this may mean criticising their own fans or players

• Calls on the state authorities (governments, law enforcement agencies, etc.) to play their part by: providing the football bodies with the necessary legal means; acting and emphasising to arrest, prosecute and ban from stadia for significant periods those responsible for racist acts; allowing the exchange of information regarding racist activities between states and football bodies

• Finally, the PFSC acknowledges that racism is one form of discrimination, but that, unfortunately, other forms of discrimination also manifest themselves from time to time in football. It expresses its full and unconditional opposition to any form of discrimination