After Mexico Gay Slur Case Dropped, Fans Group Urges FIFA to Show Leadership on Discrimination Graham Dunbar - The Associated Press
go to original June 24, 2014

Univision's World Cup Spanish commentary has surprised some Latinos (PRI's The World)

RIO DE JANEIRO – A monitoring group has challenged FIFA to show leadership in tackling discrimination after the sport’s world governing body dropped an investigation of Mexico fans chanting an alleged gay slur.

FIFA’s disciplinary panel ruled Monday that the chant heard during Mexico vs. Cameroon on June 13 “is not considered insulting in this specific context.”

Closing that case ended potential FIFA action against Brazil’s football federation after fans exchanged the same chant during the host nation’s game against Mexico last Tuesday.

Fare, which monitors discrimination at matches, said the ruling contradicted expert opinion and FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s pledge to use the World Cup to fight discrimination.

“A genuine zero tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination will mean that FIFA will need to take some difficult decisions,” Claudia Krobitzsch, Fare programs co-ordinator said in a statement. “In the longer term it is the only way to set out clear leadership and deal with a real issue in football.”

FIFA can open disciplinary cases against national federations, which are responsible for fan behaviour inside stadiums.

Blatter has repeatedly said, including at FIFA’s congress in Sao Paulo two weeks ago, that points deductions are more effective than fines to solve such problems.

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