Players want more ‘consistent and significant’ action over racism – PFA chair

Players do not believe the football authorities have put in place strong enough deterrents to combat racism, the chair of the Professional Footballers’ Association has said.

Coventry midfielder Kasey Palmer and AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan both reported being racially abused during their sides’ matches at the weekend.

Both matches eventually restarted after the alleged incidents, and PFA chair Omar Beckles says players are not convinced the authorities are acting strongly enough on this issue.

“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,” Beckles said.

“The reality is that players don’t believe this is happening. The responsibility for what happens next lies with the authorities.”

Beckles said the PFA had been working closely with referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to give insights from a player’s perspective on protocols for dealing with racist incidents.

“We’ve encouraged players, when they are aware of racial abuse, to take control of the situation by delaying restarts, free-kicks, and throw-ins,” Beckles added.

“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.

“However, without action, the protocols are useless.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a post on his organisation’s X account on Sunday: “As well as the three-step process (match stopped, match re-stopped, match abandoned), we have to implement an automatic forfeit for the team whose fans have committed racism and caused the match to be abandoned, as well as worldwide stadium bans and criminal charges for racists.”

Palmer reported he had been abused by Sheffield Wednesday supporters in his team’s Championship match at Hillsborough on Saturday. The match was stopped for several minutes while officials spoke to both managers.

“Kasey Palmer deserves to be commended for his exemplary behaviour and measured response in an extremely challenging situation,” Beckles added.

“Those responsible for this incident were recorded, and they must be identified. They should face criminal charges and a ban from football.

“The PFA remains resolute against racism and steadfast in supporting our players.”