Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

FIFA official Boban defends racism fines

Hosts Russia were the most recent team to be penalised for racist chants by their supporters during a friendly against France in March but were fined a mere 30,000 Swiss francs (22,770 pounds) by FIFA in May.

FIFA official Boban defends racism fines
(Reuters)

Several England players have also expressed concerns ahead of the World Cup, with defender Danny Rose saying that he had asked his family not to travel to Russia for fear of racism, but Boban has brushed off their worries.

"I don't believe we will see these idiots, but we have procedures. I believe we do enough at FIFA," Boban told The Times of London newspaper.

"We have to look after the players, but how far do you punish the game for a few idiots? To punish a whole city, a whole country when less than one percent of the people are guilty?"

Boban, a former AC Milan defender, says that FIFA's three-step protocol in the event of racist behaviour at Russia is a landmark plan that will deter perpetrators.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Kick It Out, an organisation dedicated to achieving equality and inclusion in soccer, said they were disappointed but not surprised with the relaxed approach that a high-ranking FIFA official had towards combating racism.

"While we welcome FIFA's commitment to the implementation of the three-step protocol at the tournament, it is laughable to suggest it has done enough to deter discriminatory behaviour up to this point," the organisation said in a statement.

"The racial abuse of French national team players by Russian supporters just three months ago is clear evidence of that."

Russia has pledged to crack down on racism ahead of the World Cup, which will be held from June 14 to July 15, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino saying he had no concerns of discrimination at matches earlier this month.

(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)


2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world