Associated Press Sports
updated 8:58 a.m. ET March 28, 2013
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) - UEFA's executive committee wants players to speak out against teammates and fans after racist incidents at soccer matches.
The UEFA ruling board on Thursday ratified a proposal on tackling discrimination presented by its Professional Football Strategy Council, which is chaired by President Michel Platini.
A call for tougher sanctions echoed recent comments by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, but went further in stressing a key role for players to curb the problem.
Players and coaches, "namely those with most influence on the perpetrators of racist acts - (should) speak out, even if this may mean criticizing their own fans or players," UEFA said.
After high-profile incidents in the English Premier League last season, Chelsea and Liverpool were criticized for solidly standing by John Terry and Luis Suarez, respectively, who served bans for racially insulting opponents.
The debate on racism in European soccer intensified this season after incidents including a bad-tempered match between Serbia and England in an Under-21 European Championship playoff, and stadium closures imposed by FIFA on Hungary and Bulgaria for World Cup qualifiers.
AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng's decision to walk off the field, causing an exhibition against a fourth-tier Italian club to be abandoned, led FIFA to appoint him to a task force studying the problem.
The UEFA strategy panel - which included delegates from national associations, leagues, clubs and players' unions - met Wednesday in Sofia and urged competition organizers to tell referees "to stop matches in cases of racism."
Still, UEFA's claim of zero tolerance of racism comes after it declined to open disciplinary action against Zenit St. Petersburg following a Europa League match two weeks ago against Basel, where Russian fans reportedly targeted monkey noises at the Swiss club's players.
The UEFA statement Thursday called on state authorities to "play their part" by "providing the football bodies with the necessary legal means; acting and emphasizing to arrest, prosecute and ban from stadia for significant periods those responsible for racist acts; allowing the exchange of information regarding racist activities between states and football bodies."
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsIf World Cup draw was today ...
PST: We took the current standings from qualifying tournaments around the world, assumed the teams? points-per-game rates played out, and then ?qualified? the appropriate teams for Brazil.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51359780/ns/sports-soccer/
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