According to Omar Beckles, the chair of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), players believe that football authorities are not taking sufficient measures to address racism effectively within the game.
Beckles asserts that members perceive a lack of “genuine, regular, and meaningful repercussions” for racism.
Both Mike Maignan of AC Milan and Kasey Palmer of Coventry reportedly experienced racist abuse during Saturday’s matches.
“Responsibility for what happens next lies with the authorities,” he said.
“Our members want to see real, consistent and significant consequences for racist abuse, both for the individuals who are responsible and for clubs who fail to get a grip of the issue within their stadiums.
“The reality is that players don’t believe this is happening.”
Troy Townsend, the head of player engagement at the anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, expresses that football should feel “ashamed” for never having “adequately addressed” the problem of racism.
“It is an absolute disgrace that players are having to go into their place of work and be subjected to a vile torrent of abuse,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
AC Milan’s players left the field when French goalkeeper Maignan reported hearing “monkey noises” emanating from a section of the crowd at Udinese’s Stadio Friuli. Eventually, the players returned, and Milan secured a 3-2 victory in the Serie A match.
The incident involving Palmer occurred during Coventry’s 2-1 Championship triumph over Sheffield Wednesday, prompting a temporary halt in the match while officials engaged with both managers.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, condemned the incidents as “completely abhorrent” and advocated for an automatic forfeiture of games for teams whose fans engage in racist behavior.
Currently, there is a three-step process for handling racism incidents, involving two stoppages before the match is abandoned if the abuse persists.
Townsend criticizes this process as inadequate but expresses skepticism about the authorities’ ability to bring about change.
“Why would you give three opportunities to racially abuse players? I just don’t understand it and why it was pushed forward as the next phase of tackling racism.” he added.
“The decision was made by people who never had to suffer racism before, it is that simple. We have to be honest and realise the emotion and trauma that goes on with being abused in that manner.
“I don’t hold confidence and that might be worrying to listen to, but we have been talking about this story for far too long.”
Beckles encourages players who experience racist abuse to pause the game and notify the referee, providing an opportunity for decisive action to be taken.
“A stoppage in play – however long it takes – forces a response. It creates a window to alert match officials and gives the best chance of identifying those responsible,” he said.
“However, without action, the protocols are useless.”
Coventry owner Doug King has also called for harsher punishments and says he would fully back his players if they walked off the pitch in support of a team-mate who suffered racist abuse.
“The authorities, football authorities and leadership, need to do something else because clearly it isn’t working,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Forfeiture of the game seems logical and if you have continued transgressions then deduct points.
“We will be fully behind any person who is abused in any manner at our football club, team, staff, stewards. It is just not good enough.”