UEFA faces racism challenge

Kicking racism out of European soccer will be top of the agenda this week when UEFA officials meet to discuss an alleged volley of abuse faced by black players this season.

British clubs have been setting that agenda after players at Arsenal, Liverpool, Fulham and Ipswich Town complained of their treatment in Champions League and UEFA Cup away fixtures.

Top internationals such as Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Liverpool's Emile Heskey say they have been targeted by local fans who have hurled abuse, spat and thrown missiles at them.

UEFA's disciplinary body is expected to take firm action on Thursday, particularly after chief executive Gerhard Aigner insisted last month that there was no place for racism in football.

However, Aigner's men are equally convinced that the task of ridding the game of racism cannot be theirs alone.

Mike Lee, UEFA's director of communications, told Reuters: "Hundreds of European games go on in Champions League, UEFA Cup and youth and women's competitions in which there are no incidents.

"But we take every incident seriously and I think the European football family knows that UEFA absolutely and totally condemns racism.

"But we cannot solve these problems on our own," Lee said.

"Everybody has a responsibility -- clubs, leagues, national associations, players, stewards, police.

"We've taken every step possible."

SIMPLE MESSAGE

Lee pointed to UEFA's work -- and a one-million-Swiss-franc grant -- for the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) initiative and had a simple message to clubs.

"Do everything you can to stamp out racism," he said. "That's about educating your stewards, liaising with the police, campaigning and educating the fans.

"It's about making their messages and their own stance on this clear at club level."

Praising the work of English officials and the nine-year-old Kick it Out campaign against racism in the country, he said: "The picture in Europe appears to be positive on the whole...in some countries it's clearly stronger than in others."

One man who shares that view, and wants UEFA to do something about it, is former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore.

"Europe's football authorities should look to England to find out how to tackle racism," Collymore wrote in a British newspaper column a fortnight ago.

"Education and improved awareness, not punishment, hold the key.

"I don't think racism has gone away (from English stadiums) -- that would be naive -- but it has become unfashionable and unacceptable inside grounds."

He added: "We don't have a massive problem in this country because the issue of racism is highlighted, if not eradicated, and people question themselves. UEFA should do the same."

FA SURVEY

Despite Collymore's confidence about the English game, a new survey for the Football Association (FA) showed fans still felt that racist abuse at matches was a big problem.

The poll by research agency MORI found that 77 percent of black supporters felt that racial abuse was stopping ethnic minority fans from going to watch matches.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger also believes that behaviour inside grounds is an issue for both UEFA and clubs alike -- particularly when it comes to punishment.

Looking back to the incidents involving Henry at PSV Eindhoven, he said that UEFA stewards and organisers were responsible for monitoring what was happening.

As for sanctions, he told reporters last Friday: "It's difficult to ban a club if someone has been stupid -- you cannot make everyone in the crowd intelligent or tolerant.

"But you can isolate (the offenders) and ban them forever."

England international Kieron Dyer supported the idea of a permanent ban for offenders.

"If anyone's seen or heard shouting racist abuse they should have a worldwide ban from football and be banned from every game worldwide.

"That's a great way of dealing with the problem and as soon as a few supporters are getting world bans other supporters would take note of it and I think they would keep their mouths quiet," Dyer told BBC radio on Sunday.

"There is going to be a stage where some players just walk off the pitch and refuse to play and we don't want it to come down to that," Dyer added. "It's something that's got to be sorted out sooner rather than later."

Clubs certainly can crack down on those responsible for racist acts at their grounds, as they remain in control of who is allowed in through the turnstiles.

But clubs are likely to increase the efforts to combat racism in European football only if the game's ruling body is seen to take a lead on the issue; starting on Thursday.