World Cup to penalize fan racism
By Brian Witter
With all the major U.S. sporting events -- the NFL Draft, the NBA and NHL playoffs and the opening weeks of baseball -- it's easy to forget that one of the world's largest and most famous championships is less than two months away.
The World Cup is set to convene in Germany on June 9 and offers a twist in the rules this year that could make things interesting. On Tuesday, FIFA President Sepp Blatter told English television that there will be a new set of regulations at the World Cup that prohibit racism in any form. This not only includes the players on the field, but the hooligans in the stands, as well. Any misbehavior involving racist remarks by fans could result in a three-point penalty for their team with more severe penalties to follow, including a possible review of whether or not to disqualify a team if their fans appear to be out of control. In the FIFA World Cup, three points is equivalent to a win.
Fines can also be given to fans for "any act or expression of a discriminatory and/or contemptuous nature." FIFA is trying to address the recent spike in bigotry at soccer matches in Europe as a whole and especially in Germany. Recently, Nigerian-born Adebowale Ogungbure, who plays for FC Sachsen Leipzig in eastern Germany, was accosted and spat on for being black. Ogungbure tried to fight back, but was attacked and almost killed in response. In a March match between Germany's Hamburg Saint Pauli, which has a large Turkish following, and eastern club Chemnitz FC, visiting Chemnitz fans stormed Turkish-owned stores chanting "Sieg Heil" and waving imitation Nazi flags. Some shouted: "We're going to build a subway from Saint Pauli to Auschwitz."
In Germany, where a high concentration of neo-Nazis resides, exposure to racism remains a challenge everywhere, particularly at football games. And with the World Cup looming, Germany doesn't want a dark cloud hovering over the celebration. Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcement that he will be attending the festivities is also of concern. I'm curious to see whether Ahmadinejad, who has drawn criticism for labeling the Holocaust a myth and calling for Israel's destruction, will be able to keep his mouth shut.
Politics, culture and sport. All three will come together (and clash?) this summer in Germany. The World Cup's slogan for 2006 is "A Time to Make Friends." Hopefully FIFA's rules will help to foster friendship rather than breed hate.
Contact Brian Witter at (408) 551-1918 or bwitter@scu.edu.