MFA Gives Referees Power To Abandon Matches In Case Of Racist Abuse
The Malta Football Association’s Executive Committee has voted to empower referees to abandon matches in cases of racist abuse by fans.
Under the new regulations, referees will first be obliged to ask for a public announcement to be made requesting that any racist behaviour stop immediately. After this has failed, the referee will suspend the match for a few minutes, before finally abandoning the match if the abuse persists.
In cases where a match has had to be abandoned, the way forward will be decided by the MFA’s Control, Disciplinary and Ethics Committee.
In a statement this evening, the MFA said it was disappointed by the increase in discriminatory behaviour.
“Football should not be misused by anyone projecting any discriminatory message. The decision to empower referees to act against racism and to follow a procedure which could result in the suspension or even abandonment of a football match, is a strong sign that the Malta FA, its clubs and members will do whatever is in their control to prevent such behavior,” the football association said.
Opposition Leader Welcomes New Guidelines
News that MFA would be announcing new anti-racism measures was welcomed by Opposition leader Bernard Grech this afternoon.
“Racism should never be tolerated, and has no space in society,” Grech said in a Facebook post this evening in which he welcomed the MFA’s “satisfactory” announcement.
He added that the fact that this proposal was to be discussed at executive level after being put forward by an individual, Omar Rababah, ought to serve as inspiration for those who want to see change implemented.
“Change starts with us, and we should never shy away from proposing anything that will improve our society,” Grech said.
Yesterday, reacting to an incident over the weekend in which Santa Lucia goalkeeper Julani Archibald was subject to racist abuse, Rababah wrote to MFA president Bjorn Vassallo, urging him to implement rules and regulations to curb such incidents.
He called for those found guilty of racist abuse to be banned permanently from football stadiums, as well as the setting up of an independent disciplinary board composed of people who are not current or former members of football clubs, to decide on racist incidents.
He also said an anti-racism committee, composed of club committee members and anti-racism experts, should be created in order to educate the public on the matter.
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