Fifa fine Spanish FA
Racist fans cost Spanish FA £44,750 - but no stadium ban
Paul Doyle
Tuesday December 21, 2004
The Spanish FA has been fined 100,000 Swiss francs (£44,750) by Fifa for failing to prevent racist chanting during two friendlies against England in November.
Large numbers of Spanish supporters aimed racist taunts at England's black players during the U-21 match in Alkala on 16 November, and then again during the senior match the following evening in Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Expressing their shock at the derisive monkey chants that resounded around the ground, many members of the England squad said afterwards they had never before heard abuse on such a scale.
The Spanish FA, however, were slow to condemn the home crowd's behaviour, waiting until two days later to send a letter of apology to the English FA. The FA welcomed that gesture but insisted that it should not deter Fifa from conducting an investigation and imposing appropriate punishment.
Many commentators called on football's governing body to deliver a sanction that proves they are determined to eradicate racism from the sport, such as forcing the Spanish national team to stage a number of future home games behind closed doors.
Fifa, however, has decided a fine is enough, and warned the Spanish authorities that any recurrences of the scenes that besmirched the Bernabeu could result in an order to play behind closed doors or even see Spain expelled from international competition.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter initially said England would have been justified in walking off the field. But this week he back-tracked, saying that would have set a "dangerous precedent".
The racism issue had been sparked by remarks made by Spain coach Luis Aragones about Arsenal striker Thierry Henry in October.
Aragones issued an apology, insisting he had not wanted to cause offence - but he then levelled a tirade about England's colonial past before November's friendly.
The Spanish federation recently opened a disciplinary file against Aragones over the matter.
