Minimum six-month sentence for racist insults

One of the pictures of the last hours is what happened in the friendly between New Zealand and Qatar in Austria and where the New Zealand team left the field after the break, suspecting a racist insult to their player Michael boxall. Incident should have happened before the break with the Qatari player yousuf abdurisang he addressed the New Zealand player on the occasion of a free kick. This prompted that New Zealand He retreated by making a statement on social networks in which he said: “Michael Boxall was subjected to racist insults early in the match by a Qatari player. No official action was taken, so the team agreed not to take the field in the second half of the game.”

This incident and the corresponding complaint will cause FIFA stepped in to investigate what happened because football’s highest body is responsible for what happens in matches, including friendlies: “it will have competence in disciplinary matters related to matches and competitions that it organizes, international matches «A» (highest level of international matches) , friendly matches”

FIFA needs to open an extraordinary file

This would mean opening a file that could bring harsh punishment to the player, provided these insults are proven to exist. In article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code it says about misconduct by players and officials. In it he said the following:

“A player or official who, on the occasion of a match (including the period before and after the match) or a competition, publicly incites hatred or violence will be banned from football-related activities without at least six months, and with a fine of at least 5100 euros. In addition to the above, in serious cases —especially if the offense is committed through social networks or media or on the day of the match at the stadium or around it, the amount of The fine is at least 20,400 euros.”

It is true that in the same Code, article 15 on discrimination speaks of a penalty of at least ten parties for this type of action:

“Anyone who threatens the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or a group of people using abusive, offensive or offensive words or actions based on race, color, ethnicity, country or social origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, language, religion, political position or of any other nature, purchasing power, place of birth or for any other status or reason shall be subject to a suspension lasting at least ten games or a certain period, or to any other appropriate disciplinary measure.”

Possible penalty for delay of match

And we will see what are the consequences of the fact that the game is not over. Both FIFA Codes include fines and possible disciplinary measures.

“If a match is not played or cannot be played at all for reasons not force majeure, but arising from the conduct of one of the teams or from conduct for which a federation or a club is responsible , it will be penalized. to the federation or to the club with a fine of at least 10199 euros The defeat will be declared by withdrawal or resignation, or the match will be played. In addition, other measures in disciplinary action may be imposed on the federation or the club in question.”