MEP Chris Heaton-Harris, the chairman of the European Parliament's Sports Intergroup, welcomed the launch last week of a new anti-racism campaign sponsored by UEFA but called for more concrete action by Europe's highest football governing body.
UEFA, the European Commission and Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE), an NGO, marked the start of the 2008-2009 football season by presenting a joint TV advert on 11 September.
The "different languages, one goal" advert will be aired at half time during each of the 125 matches of the UEFA Champions League until May 2009 and is expected to reach more than 140 million viewers during matchweeks. The advert, which shows football fans sharing their passion for the sport regardless of their cultural background, aims to promote tolerance and help fight racism. It builds on the theme of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, "Together in diversity".
But Heaton-Harris urged UEFA to show it is serious about racist incidents and "impose stricter punishments on clubs, players or fans" who commit such acts. "UEFA need to keep to their word and show zero tolerance. This behaviour needs to be kicked out of the game for good," he said.
Jonathan Hill, the head of UEFA's EU office, acknowledged that "one TV advert will not solve this problem overnight". Instead, UEFA wants to take the lead with its advert by setting an example and the tone on fighting racism in football.
Recent years have seen an increasing number of footballers attacked or insulted by supporters of rival teams, with fans making racist comments or gestures. According to the Commission, some police cooperation instruments exist to fight hooliganism at European level but responsibility lies mainly in the hands of member states.
The Commission qualified the venture as a good example of solidarity and cooperation between a high-level sports institution and a grassroots NGO on an issue of major societal relevance.
