In a friendly the other day KBP and his teammates walked off the pitch following incidents of racism. Before I go on I would like to point out that I fully agree with his actions of walking off the pitch and that racism is wrong. Sepp Blatter has previously stated that any player walking off the pitch because of racism should be booked. On the face of it it sounds like another one of Sepp Blatter's stupid comments. However, while he didn't explain it, and he should have done, a player walking off the pitch can have dangerous consequences. Even if the player had a very good reason for walking off the pitch. The KBP incident had no such problems. But if a player walked off the pitch in a game, the game would most likely end up being abandoned, as the game involving KBP was. If a player was to walk off in a competitive game then the game could be abandoned and replayed later on. That's fine. But what if a player walks off when they're 3-1 down compared to 3-1 up. Now this is where I'm entering a dangerous area. But what if it's the 85th minute at 3-1 down, racism had been going on though out the the entire match and it's at this point the player has had enough and walks off, as a result the game is abandoned and replayed at a later date But if they're 3-1 up and decide to carry on and deal with the abuse after the game. So what Sepp Blatter has said, while he didn't say it, is to avoid any form of match fixing Before anybody has a go at me or interprets what I have said in the wrong way. I am completely against racism and if a player cannot tolerate it they have every right to walk off the pitch.
Here is the video of the incident. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...e-to-play-after-racist-abuse-video?CMP=twt_gu
I see what you mean wonky, one answer would be to finish the match later behind closed doors, just playing the amount of time remaining and starting at the original scoreline!
That in itself could create some issues. Take in to account how long to clear the ground and surrounding area, making the ground secure then the players may need to warm up (again), having hopefully warmed down properly to minimise risk of injury. I have not thought beyond that yet but I would guess there are other things to consider
UEFA and FIFA have shown before that they're totally toothless when it comes to racism. Serbia should've had at least a ban for that disgrace against England. This game was a friendly. Sadly, I suspect that, had this been a game in a UEFA tournament (CL, Europa), that Milan might've been on the end of a fine.
I would imagine (Or would like to think atleast) that it comes down to the Referees discretion. If a player is subject to any racial abuse, I would imagine he should inform the Referee before charging down the players tunnel and should inform the Referee immediately. If the referee is aware of it he should halt the match anyway and send the players into the dressing room (similar to a rain delay etc.) But given the tightrope our referees face over the course of 90 minutes it would a steely character to haul players of the pitch in a highly charged and close football match, but this is the only way I could see any progression being made to the muddy water that is the current procedure.
It isn't just the players who could be involved in "fixing". Supporters can and have altered the results of games by their actions. Invading pitches for one. I can't remember the outcome of the match but remember Cantona launching a kick at Matthew Simmons, a Palace supporter who shouted “You French b*****d. F*** off back to France, you mother f***er” at him. So racism applies not to just to black players. But a supporter like that could entice a player to get sent off and the outcome of a game changed. It is an unenviable task for the authorities. A friend of mine recounts the story of when he was in the States and wondered why schools etc were still open on Martin Luther King Day and was told that people in that area weren't going to celebrate a black man. It will take generations to alter that thinking.
At the time Simmons actually claimed to have said nothing more than "off you go Eric, it's an early bath for you!". Hmmmm, not the greatest defence in the world that one
From the BBC website. And who better to impose these harsh sanctions than you and your overpaid FIFA executives, hey? Makes my blood boil.
How about they start by fining teams more than they do for players showing their underwear or being late out for the second half?
Well he would want the fines increased wouldn't he. More income, more officials, more officaldom, more problems. Which would mean more snactions, more fines, more income, more officals, more officialdom, more problems. Which would . . . .
