The Brazil Football Federation (CBF) says it will become the first to punish incidents of racism and racist abuse with points deductions.
The CBF has confirmed a change to its regulations that will initially take effect in the Copa do Brasil, with the first round taking place from February 21.
Combatting racism is a priority for CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues, who became the first black person to lead the organisation in over 100 years of its history when elected to the permanent role in March 2022.
Last month the country’s new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, also announced an increase in penalties for racism and other crimes committed at sporting events in Brazil.
The FA did not want to comment when asked by Sky Sports News if it would look to introduce anything similar to the CBF’s new regulations.
The Scottish Football Association, UEFA and FIFA have also been approached by Sky Sports for comment.
Brazil international Vinicius Junior has been at the centre of a racism scandal in Spain over the past 12 months.
The Real Madrid forward has been racially abused on numerous occasions, most recently by Atletico Madrid fans ahead of the derby in the Copa del Rey earlier this month.
Rodrigues, 68, spoke out against the treatment of Vinicius Jr and other athletes a fortnight ago after an effigy was hung of the 22-year-old, saying racism now “goes beyond an attack on dignity and already threatens the physical safety of the victims”.
“The fight against racism is urgent,” Rodrigues said after the CBF proposal was unveiled. “Measures have been discussed for centuries and never put into practice. CBF is doing its part.
Vinicius Junior has been racially abused in Spain
“We decided to go even further in punishments and we can even take points away from a club in one of our competitions.
“Racial discrimination is a crime and our job is to shed light on the issue.
“We hope that we can have the support of all the clubs, all the fans, all segments of society, all of the press, so that this does not remain just cosmetic.
“Besides the sporting sanctions, with any act of racism or any discrimination, the match summary will also be sent to the Public Prosecutor and to the Civil Police so that the process does not finish in the sporting sphere.
“And that the offenders are also punished by law.”
Burnett: Fans will self-police on racist behaviour
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Kick It Out CEO Tony Burnett, raises awareness of racism becoming more and more apparent in all levels of football, from grassroots upwards in today’s society.
All 20 top-flight clubs in Brazil approve the new sanctions and Kick It Out’s chief executive Tony Burnett told Sky Sports he hopes other federations follow suit.
“It’s really good news as we have long called for greater punishments for acts of racism,” Burnett said.
“The financial punishments that have been levied for acts of racism are nowhere near strong enough to become a deterrent so absolutely we welcome this.
“We understand a club would have to go through quite a few sanctions before getting to this point. We don’t want this to be used in cases of first offences, but the deterrent needs to be there.
“This provides an opportunity for fans to police each other because if this impacts your club, then as a supporter I’m far more unlikely to put up with the person next to me acting in a racist way as it would have a material impact on the team I support.”
What is the current punishment in England?
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Former England international Eni Aluko believes the police and football authorities need to monitor online racism towards players more strongly.
Currently, a guilty participant can face up to a 12-game ban in England. And clubs can face fines and stadium closures if groups of fans are deemed guilty.
‘A strong message on what is unacceptable’
The Brazilian FA will introduce stiffer sanctions to tackle racism
South American football expert Tim Vickery to Sky Sports News:
“These issues have been swirling around Brazilian football for a while. If we go back nine years, a big club in the South of Brazil, Gremio, were kicked out of the Brazilian cup because of the racism of some of their supporters.
“The CBF have codified this to an extent which has never been done before. It’s not just racism, in the regulation which will govern competitions that take place under the CBF, it’s sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and anything that affronts human dignity.
“This is a broad-based anti-discrimination package where anyone connected with the club, including the supporters, are to be held responsible for their actions.
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Uruguay striker Luis Suarez receives a warm welcome as he arrives in Porto Alegre to join Brazilian side Gremio.
“The clubs are not really happy with it. They’ve gone along with it but they’re not entirely happy about having to be responsible for the behaviour of their supporters.
“There are a number of sanctions: a 90k fine which can be doubled in the case of a second incident, the club can lose the right to play at home or have to play behind closed doors, the club could be unable to register players and the possibility of losing points although that one is open to appeal and will be defined by the sports justice system.
“The organisation which monitors racism in Brazilian football say of these types on incidents, historically around 40 per cent of sentences have been overturned on appeal in the sports justice system.
“There’s a process, there is a protocol, it’s cumbersome but perhaps the most important thing here is the message coming out from Brazil’s FA is drawing a line. These types of behaviour, especially racism, homophobia and sexism are unacceptable inside football stadiums and unacceptable when connected with football.
“Anyone with any relationship with a club found guilty of these is open to sanctions. It’s a strong message on what is unacceptable behaviour.”
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Kick It Out is football’s equality and inclusion organisation – working throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change.
