By Andrew Warshaw
September 26 – You couldn’t really make it up. Well maybe you could. After all, this is FIFA. Ever since football’s world governing body launched its much-trumpeted reform programme, one of the key messages it has been so keen to promote is that it will no longer tolerate racism and discrimination. A major priority. Zero tolerance. No more prevarication.
Yet on the very day FIFA’s female African general secretary Fatma Samoura (yes, female AND African) gave her first overseas address – to delegates of the Soccerex summit in Manchester where she attempted to uphold FIFA’s supposed new image of credibility and inclusivity – so it emerged that the organisation had abandoned its anti-racism task force.
In a move that is at best startling and which at worst might be described by critics as shameful, FIFA wrote to members of the Task Force to say that it had “completely fulfilled its temporary mission” and “is hereby dissolved and no longer in operation.”
Talk about embarrassing timing for Gianni Infantino and his administration.
In one fell swoop, one of the key pillars of FIFA’s apparent commitment to wiping out racism has been obliterated and the perception, rightly or wrongly, will now be that the issue has been resolved and that no more work is needed despite ongoing concerns about what might happen at the 2018 World Cup host Russia and frequent instances of racism across different parts of the footballing landscape.
“I wish I could say that I am shocked by the decision, but unfortunately I am not,” task force member Osasu Obayiuwana, a regular Insideworldfootball columnist, told The Associated Press. “The problem of racism in football remains a burning, very serious and topical one, which need continuous attention.
“I personally think there remained a lot of very serious work for the task force to have done – the 2018 World Cup in Russia being one such matter. But it is evident the FIFA administration takes a different position.”
Interestingly, FIFA put out no media statement – at least not before Obayiuwana tweeted the letter’s contents. Perhaps the Zurich spin doctors were anxious not to shoot themselves in the foot or cause embarrassment for Samoura ahead of her eagerly awaited address to the Soccerex conference. But by the time she spoke, the horse had already bolted.
The task force was established in 2013 by then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter and headed by Jeffrey Webb, a vice president of world football’s governing body and boss of CONCACAF until he was arrested last year as part of the US-led investigation into widespread football corruption stretching back 20 years.
Webb, who has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges, was replaced as Task Force chairman a year ago by Congolese federation president Constant Omari, who sits on FIFA’s new ruling council. Yet with the Council about to have its first official session later this month, the anti-discrimination panel has been totally disbanded. Another unfortunate faux pas.
The letter, signed by Gerd Dembowski, FIFA’s diversity and anti-discrimination manager, attempted to highlight the body’s success by telling members: “We are delighted to inform you that all of the task force’s recommendations have been implemented and all resulting projects are ongoing.”
Yet the message was far from convincing. Only last February former FIFA presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale used his speech just before the election that saw Infantino elected to call for the anti-racism body, of which he was also a member, to become a permanent committee.
“Racism is going to be with us for a long, long time,” Sexwale, a former anti-apartheid activist, told the FIFA Congress. “It can’t just be a committee that comes ad hoc.”
To make the timing of the body’s axe-ing even more awkward for FIFA, the news was made public on the same day it was launching its inaugural ‘Diversity Awards’ – with Samoura doing the honours in Manchester
Britain’s Shadow Home secretary Andy Burnham, a huge football fan, could not disguise his disappointment when he took to the podium to officially open Soccerex. “I am worried about this … with the World Cup coming up in Russia,” he told delegates. “We cannot be complacent and think we have succeeded in the fight against racism. It poisons the game and allows the extremists to win.”
Kick It Out, Britain’s leading football anti-racism body, was quick to condemn the end of the task force saying it was “perplexed” by Fifa’s decision.
“This comes at a time when there is clear evidence that discrimination, prejudice and hate are on the rise in developed societies, particularly in Europe but also in different forms across the world. Football should seek to lead the way in combating such intrusions,” a statement said.
“It is clear that organisations that are actively campaigning against racism and discrimination will be deeply disheartened to hear news of the disbandment, as they look to FIFA for leadership in a game which is so popular across the world. This is also ahead of FIFA hosting the 2018 World Cup in Russia, a country which is notorious for racism and abusive activities towards minorities.”
“FIFA state on their website: ‘FIFA is actively committed to fighting all kinds of discrimination within football and within society as a whole.’ – With this in mind, Kick It Out is urging FIFA to set out a clear and concise strategy on how the sport can tackle discrimination and promote equality.”
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