Introduction

Football has a long history of racial discrimination, and racism in football was first addressed officially at an extraordinary congress held by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) in 2001. There are cultural differences among the many nations playing football, and equally racism in football has many different shapes and forms – therefore, eliminating racism from the game of football is certainly an overwhelming task. In this context, it is useful to present the case of racism in football within different cultural settings. I first examine racism in English football and American ‘soccer’, because of the historical ties between these two nations; then I present the case of racism in the wholly different cultural setting of Italy in order to demonstrate the manifold shapes of racial discrimination in football across the world. My point of departure is FIFA’s Good Practice Guide on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination, for it openly states that ‘one racist comment … does not necessarily make a person racist’ (FIFA, nd: 91), further complicating the already obscure relationship between racial discrimination and the popular game of football.

How football governing bodies are tackling racism

Fédération Internationale de Football Association

FIFA first addressed matters pertaining to racism at an extraordinary congress in Buenos Aires in 2001. Despite FIFA’s good intentions, racism remained widespread. In March 2013, the FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination was set up, only to be terminated three years later with the statement: ‘A FIFA task force is a temporary structure with a defined mission. Once this mission is complete – as was the case with the FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination once it had made its recommendations – the structure is dissolved’ (FIFA, 2016). Its mission, it appears, was to identify relevant antidiscrimination initiatives in time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

FIFA is, of course, genuinely committed to eliminating racism in football. If anything, it has accumulated much knowledge and experience on the issue of racism in football, and it has never hesitated to present us with relevant examples of, as well as possible clarifications on, what may constitute discrimination.