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Sepp Blatter's outrage at tiny Italian FA fine for racist Roma fans

So the FIFA boss is an anti-racism campaigner now, everyone.

SEPP BLATTER HAS slammed the Italian FA for opting not to hold an inquiry into racist chanting at the Serie A game between Milan and Roma.

Milan duo Kevin-Prince Boateng and Mario Balotelli were allegedly subjected to abuse from Roma fans during the 0-0 draw at San Siro, forcing the referee to stop the game briefly in the second half until the visiting supporters calmed down.

The club from the Italian capital have since been fined €50,000 euros for the incident, but the FIFA president has been left stunned by the governing body’s decision not to hold an internal investigation.

He told FIFA’s official website: “I think lessons have not been learned. It is incredible, that we had such incidents especially in the Italian Serie A in the San Siro between AC Milan and Roma, a very important match. The referee had to stop the match for a few minutes in order to bring back calm.

“What is surprising and is not understandable for me, is that the Disciplinary Committee of the Italian Football Federation has taken a decision, not even 24 hours after the event, by just imposing a fine. They have not made any investigation of what happened.

“To give a pecuniary sanction is not valid, that is not acceptable. You will always find money. What is 50,000 euros for such an incident? I’m not happy and I will call the Italian Federation.  That’s not a way to deal with such matters.”

Blatter will hold a meeting of the FIFA Congress in Mauritius on May 30, and hopes that the governing body will come to an agreement on future sanctions to bring racism in football to an end once and for all.

He added: “I think it’s good for us and for the FIFA Congress, when we will present this resolution. In this resolution, there are foreseen sanctions. And these sanctions must be applied all around the world.”

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    Mute Splat
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    Oct 6th 2020, 11:49 AM

    Now maybe the rest of sports clubs can follow suit for a few weeks. Show a bit of solidarity.

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    Mute Mattress Dick
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    Oct 6th 2020, 11:57 AM

    @Splat: the GAA ate only doing it because their supporters can’t behave themselves. Rugby and football (not Gaelic) supporters would have more respect for everyone

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    Mute Mattress Dick
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    Oct 6th 2020, 11:57 AM

    @Mattress Dick: *are

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    Mute Mattress Dick
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    Oct 6th 2020, 11:58 AM

    @Mattress Dck: I refuse to call football ‘soccer’ btw. Feel dirty just typing it

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    Mute Joe
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    Oct 6th 2020, 12:33 PM

    @Mattress Dick: agree. Football is football. GAA is Gaelic Football or GAA

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    Mute Splat
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    Oct 6th 2020, 12:37 PM

    @Mattress Dick: Soccer Hooligans might flow off the tongue better.

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    Mute John kane
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    Oct 6th 2020, 12:42 PM

    @Mattress Dick: it’s football in England. It’s soccer in Ireland. We have our own football

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    Mute Joe
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    Oct 6th 2020, 2:18 PM

    @John kane: not really, maybe outside of our biggest city. In Dublin football means the one where only one player can use their hands and the rest have to use their feet.
    The other one is footrug!

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    Mute Tiarnan Guinée
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    Oct 6th 2020, 2:26 PM

    @Mattress Dick: it is called both football and soccer in Ireland and elsewhere.

    If someone told me they play football I’d have to clarify which one they meant.

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    Mute Diarmuid O Donnchadha
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    Oct 6th 2020, 5:31 PM

    @Mattress Dick: The proper name for the game is Association Football. From the word association came the name soccer. In the 60s and 70s it was called soccer widely including in England. There was a magazine/annual called Soccer. The new fangled infatuation with the term football being the only proper term is just that, an infatuation! Many clubs had the abbreviation AFC after their names to show the were Association Football Clubs! Rugby is properly called Rugby Football and few enough players kick the ball. American football often refer to their players as footballers and only two players, the kicker and punter kick the ball! For many people, soccer is just a term to differentiate which form of football is being played!

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