The chief Executive of Show Racism the Red Card, Ged Grebby expressed his disappointment over UEFA’s decision of slapping a fine of just 16,700 pounds on http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Porto-c39186, after the club’s fans were found guilty of racially assaulting the Manchester City
striker, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Mario-Balotelli-c23937.
Grebby lambasted the European Football management body for not taking a stringent action against the club, and believed that the ‘tiny fine’ meted out to the club is a poor effort to support the anti-racism campaign.
The Italian striker was repeatedly subjected to Monkey chants during the City’s Europa League last 32 tie at Estadio Dragao. City filed a complaint to UEFA after the game.
On Tuesday a statement from UEFA confirmed that a 20,000 Euros fine has been imposed on the Portuguese side.
“The fine seems incongruous with what UEFA are doing to fight racism,” said a disgruntled Grebby, who expected a hefty punishment for the offence.
He believed the European football body should have made an example out of the incident, by taking a more strict action against the culprits. He pointed out that the clubs all over Europe are earning millions of dollars and the punishment handed out to Porto
is a mere ‘slap on the wrist’.
“European competitions make these clubs millions of pounds and a fine like this will not really make anyone change,” he added.
Show Racism the Red Card is an anti-racism organization based in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Scotland-c756
and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wales-c3041 to spread their message.
The chief executive of the organization mentioned that he is not advocating the idea of closing a stadium on the crime, but observed that the clubs needed to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against racism. To ensure that happens, he believes that UEFA should
slap sanctions on the negligent clubs.
“The clubs themselves have got to take action. And the clubs are much more likely to take action if they know that the sanctions are harder.”
He blamed the relevant authorities for not dealing with the situation effectively and said that it resulted in racism continuing to go forth in different European countries, most notably in Spain, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Portugal-c2984 and Italy.
“We also know that in other European countries – http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Spain-c3011 in particular but also Portugal as well – that this is a problem that keeps coming back because there is not enough action by the authorities.”
However, a spokesman for Porto said that the club were not aware of the racial assault from the crowd and reminded everyone that the Portuguese side had no history of racism.
City are yet to comment on the punishment.
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