FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called for criminal charges for those guilty of racist abuse at football stadiums as the governing body outlines its response to the treatment of Vinicius Junior.
Real Madrid's match at Valencia was halted after the Brazil international was subject to abuse from sections of the crowd. Vinicius issued an emotional statement in which he said LaLiga "belongs to the racists," while Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti came to the player's defence in his post-match comments.
A number of players have also spoken up in support of the Brazil international, including former Los Blancos team-mate Casemiro and Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe. Now, along with Infantino's statement, FIFA has reiterated its three-step process to attack the issue.
"Racists should be banned for life from entering football stadiums worldwide, and they should face criminal charges in their country as racism is a crime," Infantino's statement read. FIFA, meanwhile, began its statement with the words: "full solidarity to Vinicius".
"There is no place for racism in football or in society and FIFA stands by all players who have found themselves in such a situation," the FIFA statement continued. "Events during the match between Valencia and Real Madrid show that this needs to be the case.
"That is why the three-step process exists in FIFA competitions and it is recommended at all levels of football. Firstly, you stop the match, you announce it. Secondly, the players leave the pitch and the speaker announces that if the attacks continue, the match will be suspended. The match restarts, and then, thirdly, if the attacks continue, the match will stop and the three points will go to the opponent. These are the rules that should be implemented in all countries and in all leagues.
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"Clearly, this is easier said than done, but we need to do it and we need to support it through education," the governing body added. "Sometimes we focus on the victims and tend to forget the perpetrators.
"They are the ones who should be blamed first, before football or the system. Racists should be banned for life from entering football stadiums worldwide, and they should face criminal charges in their country as racism is a crime."
France striker Mbappe was among the stars to show support on social media. "You’re not alone," he wrote on Instagram while sharing a post from Vinicius Junior. "We are with you & we support you.”
Casemiro, who has played with the Real Madrid star for club and country, gave his backing to Vinicius Junior in a statement of his own on Twitter. "I feel disappointed and very sad to see, ashamed, how episodes of racism with my teammate Vinícius Junior are repeated," wrote the Man Utd midfielder, who spent nine years in Spain with Real Madrid.
"We cannot continue to tolerate this problem that transcends sport, affects the whole of society and goes unpunished. Public condemnation is not enough, punishment is necessary.
" La Liga must urgently take exemplary measures, because these repeated incidents of racism tarnish the image not only of Spanish football, but also of all world football. And the feeling must be unanimous: zero tolerance!!!!"
