21 Dec 04 Foul FIFA

FIFA finally made a decision regarding Spains punishement for the racist abuse during last months England - Spain match. The verdict: a measley £44,750!!!! What the hell?!? They (the Spanish FA) will have undoubtedly made way more than that from just having the match. The bodies that govern football these days (FIFA, the FA, et al.) all seem to be run by idiots. If they were serious about “kicking racism out of football” they’d ban the team from international matches, or at least make the fine something substantial.

To quote someone on the BBC 606 messageboards (excessive commas and all):

“Strong violence in the 1980’s led to Liverpool being excluded from European competition for years. Although, some would say, not as damaging as then, the current issue is so vital, not just in the world of football, but morally in life itself, that it deserves to be treated with a little more thought and action than the pathetic “naughty-boy” fine that is the result of some people being highly made to make a decision that even a school kid could have made better.”

The fans guilty of the abuse aren’t going to give a diddly about this farce of a fine, and I bet the same chants happen again next time round.