The president of FIFA (International Football Federation), Gianni Infantino, spoke this Wednesday (22) about the episode that occurred in the sub-12 Paulista Championship last Sunday (19). A woman was arrested on suspicion of having made racial slurs against an athlete during the match between Manthiqueira and Corinthians, in Guaratinguetá.
“I am disgusted to learn that a 12-year-old player from Academia Desportiva Manthiqueira suffered racist abuse from a fan during an under-12 Campeonato Paulista match against SC Corinthians Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil,” wrote the Swiss, in a message published on social media.
“The referee implemented the ‘No Racism’ campaign gesture to stop the match, and action was taken against the perpetrator. I commend the referee for his quick and decisive action – we have a responsibility, especially and urgently to future generations, to eradicate racism and discrimination in our game,” added Infantino.
The case mentioned by the manager took place at the Dario Rodrigues Leite stadium, in a game played with athletes up to 12 years old. Referee Guilherme Drbochlaw pointed out in the summary that he put FIFA’s anti-racism protocol into practice after a Manthiqueira athlete sat on the pitch, “in tears”, reporting the offenses.
The Military Police were called. A 41-year-old woman was identified and taken to the public prison in Lorena, a city close to Guaratinguetá. Afterwards, the TJ-SP (São Paulo Court of Justice) granted her provisional freedom. After a custody hearing on Monday (20), various precautionary measures were imposed on the prison.
Founder of Manthiqueira, Dado de Oliveira stated that the boy who reported the offenses is well and will undergo psychological follow-up. The club and also Corinthians published notes rejecting racism. Different entities spoke out, and this Wednesday it was the FIFA president’s turn.
“I will continue to be very direct about this: racism and discrimination are not just mistakes – they are crimes. All incidents of racism, whether in stadiums or online, must be appropriately punished by both football and society as a whole. FIFA, including its Players’ Voice Panel, will continue to work tirelessly on the Global Stand Against Racism to ensure a lasting and responsible impact both at home and abroad. off the field”, wrote Infantino.
