FIFA and UEFA cannot punish
FIFA and UEFA have stated that they can’t take action against the Russian Football Union’s failure to punish Lokomotiv Moscow regarding a racist banner.
The banner was aimed at Peter Odemwingie who has left the club to join West Bromwich Albion. The sign read, “Thanks West Brom” and had a picture of a banana on it. This was in reaction to the transfer of Odemwingie in which a section of fans celebrated the
player’s departure.
In the aftermath of the event, FIFA and UEFA issued statements saying “that only the competition organiser can issue sanctions. If it was a league match, the Russian FA would be responsible and if it was a UEFA competition match, UEFA would be responsible.
The Russian Football Unions disciplinary commission held a meeting regarding the banana banner and chose not to fine the Russian club. The director general Alexei Sorokin claimed that the banner was “not racist”.
Sorokin went on to say, “"The RFU doesn't accept any demonstrations of racism. I know that this banner applied to a certain player and to the manner of how he played in his last matches. Apparently fans were not happy with the fact that he plays better for
Nigeria and worse for the club. That's why they have shown their satisfaction after he left. And there is nothing racial in it. If there would be another player – from Russia, Denmark, Norway or Japan, for example – the reaction could be the same. In Russia
'to get a banana' means 'to fail a test somewhere'."
The banner was met with disapproval, but FIFA and UEFA have not condemned the RFU over the banner incident. Russia is one of the countries looking to host the 2018 World Cup and UEFA and FIFA are been put under pressure to rule the country out after the
banner issue highlighted Russia’s poor disciplinary action regarding racial discrimination. The RFU are unlikely to punish Lokomotiv Moscow, despite international condemnation.
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