Home / Sports / Rooney Demands Tougher Sanctions to Tackle Racism in Football
Rooney Demands Tougher Sanctions to Tackle Racism in Football
18 Aug
Summary
- Rooney recounts player crying on his chest after racist abuse
- Calls for points deductions and education to deter racism
- Incidents of racist abuse reported in Germany and England
According to former England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, the only way to effectively tackle racism in football is through tougher sanctions such as points deductions for clubs. Rooney, who is now the host of a new BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, reflected on his own experience of dealing with racist abuse while managing in the US.
Rooney revealed that one of his players at DC United had been racially abused and was left in tears, with Rooney holding the player as he cried on his chest. Rooney emphasized that people often make racist comments without realizing the deep hurt they can cause. To address this, he believes a strong educational campaign targeting children, parents, and grandparents is crucial, along with financial penalties for clubs whose fans engage in discrimination.
The article also mentions recent incidents of racist abuse, including towards Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo and Tottenham's Mathys Tel. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has condemned two similar incidents in German Cup games as "unacceptable." Rooney hopes that the right organizations will come together to implement serious measures to put an end to racism in football.
