Johannesburg, Mar 29 (ANI): England fans have been reported to FIFA by anti-racism body FARE after they hurled sick taunts at Rio and Anton Ferdinand during last week's World Cup qualifier against San Marino.
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand angered supporters by withdrawing from the squad to face San Marino and Montenegro because it did not fit in with his pre-planned training programme and then travelling to Qatar to work as a television pundit on England's 8-0 victory, Sport24.
A significant number of the 3 000 England fans in San Marino joined in the singing of a song suggesting the brothers should be burned on a bonfire and it was suggested the chant had racist overtones because Anton Ferdinand was the target of racist abuse from former England captain John Terry, the paper said.
FARE's executive director Piara Powar believes world governing body FIFA should take action and he said although they did not have observers at the match they have pulled together evidence sent to us including media comment, adding they have passed that on to FIFA.
Powar added from the reports we have seen he personally thinks there was an undercurrent of race there, and other people have thought that it has been imbued with racist overtones, adding whether FIFA think that is strong enough to take action is another question entirely and they accept that it is certainly an unusual report.
An English FA spokesperson claimed they had received no official notification of any complaint, the paper reported. (ANI)
|
|
Comments:
