22. November 2019

Letter to UEFA on racism and discrimination in football

Dear Mr Ceferin
we are writing to you as Members of the European Parliament to urge UEFA to take urgent action against racism and discrimination in football after more chants and incidents last week in international matches and in the Netherlands. We are also following up and offering our support on your call for help from governments and the entire football family in tackling racism and discrimination.

We are appalled by the racist and discriminatory incidents that have occurred in various European football leagues and international matches. We believe that no one within the football community should have to tolerate discrimination of any kind.

We welcome your leadership and immediate condemnation of racism and discrimination as well as the new UEF A three step protocol which gives match officials and players a framework for action on the pitch. However we believe more needs to be done. We would like to see that UEFA

• Ensures that the protocol is properly enforced by the match officials
including following Step Two of sending players to the dressing room
and Step Three of abandoning the match;

• Moves away from symbolic sanctions and imposes significant sanctions
in the cases of repeated racism and discrimination in stadiums including
the potential expulsion of clubs and countries from tournaments;

• Increases investment and support for anti-racism and discrimination
education initiatives.

It is imperative that all of us fight intolerance and we hope you take action. We must ensure that all football authorities and fans are clear about the consequences of failure to act.

We look forward to receiving your reply and learning how you will take action.
Samira Rafaela
Co-President of ARDI

The ARDI Bureau
ERNST Cornelia, Co- President
OMARJEE Younous, Co-President
MAGID Magid, Co-President
HERZBERGER-FOFANA Pierrette Gabrielle, Co-President
FRANZ Romeo, Co-President
INCIR Evin, Co-President
WARD Julie, Co-President
V AUTMANS Hilde, Vice-President
POLLAK Peter, Vice-President
ADINOLFI Isabella
AL-SAHLANI Abir
ALFONSI François
AINSLIE Scott
AMARO Alvaro
ANDRESEN Rasmus
ANDERSON Martina
ARA-KOV ÂCS Attila
ARVANITIS Konstantinos
European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI)
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RUE WIERTZ, 60 1047 BRUSSELS BELGIUM
AUBRY Manon
AUKEN Margrete
AZMANI Malik
BELKA Marek
BENJUMEA Isabel
BIEDRON Robert
BIJOUX Stephane
BILBAO BARANDICA Izaskun
BITEAU Benoît
BOMPARD Manuel
BOTOS Vlad-Marius
BRICMONT Saskia
BUNTING Judith
CANASJordi
CAREME Damien
CARTHYMatt
CARY ALHAIS Isabel
CASTALDO Fabio Massimo
CA V AZZINI Anna
CORMAND David
CHAHIM Mohammed
CHASTEL Olivier
CHOWNS Ellie
CHRISTOFOROU Lefteris
CORRAO Ignazio
CSEH Katalin
D’AMATO Rosa
DANTI Nicola
DELBOS-CORFIELD Gwendoline
DELLI Karima
DEMIREL Oezlem
DOBREV Klara
DURA FERRANDIS Estrella
DURAND Pascal
EICKHOUT Bas
EROGLU Engin
EST ARAS FERRA GUT Rosa
F ARRENG Laurence
FERRANDINO Giuseppe
FERRARA Laura
FURORE Mario
GARCIA DEL BLANCO Iban
GEORGIOU Giorgos
GEORGOULIS Alexis
GIARRUSSO Dino
GILL Neena
GOERENS Charles
GROSELJ Klemen
GRUDLER Christophe
GUALMINI Elisabetta
GUSMÂO José
HAHNSvenja
European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI}
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RUE WI ERTZ, 60 1047 BRUSSELS BELGIUM
HAZEKAMP Anja
HOLMGREN Pär
HOOK Antony
HORWOOD Martin
HOWARTH John
HUITEMAJan
IN ‚T VELD Sophie
IJABS Ivars
JADOT Yannick
JONES Jackie
KARLSBRO Karin
KAT AIN EN Elsi
KELLY Sean
KIRTON-DARLING Jude
KOHUT Lukasz
KÖRNER Moritz
KÖSTER Dietmar
KOVARIK Ondrej
KUHNKE Alice
LENAERS Jeroen
LOISEAU Nathalie
L0KKEGAARD Morten
LONG Naomi
LUTGEN Benoit
MARQUES Margarida
MATIAS Marisa
MAXOV A Radka
METZ Tilly
MOHAMMED Shaffaq
MOLNAR Csaba
MORENO SÂNCHEZ Javier
NAGTEGAAL-VAN DOORN Caroline
NART Javier
NIINISTÖ Ville
OLEKAS Juozas
PAGAZAURTUNDUA Maite
PAPADIMOULIS Dimitrios
PATTEN Matthew
PETERSEN Morten Helveg
PHILLIPS Alexandra Louise
PICIERNO Giuseppina
PIRI Kati
PÎSLARU Dragos
PORRITT Luisa
RIES Frédérique
RITCHIE Sheila
RIV ASI Michèle
RÔNAI Sandor
RONDINELLI Daniela
ROOSE Caroline
SA TOURI Mounir
SCHIEDER Andreas
European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity intergroup (ARD!}
EUROPEAN PARLIAVf.NT RUE W!ERTZ, 60 1047 BRUSSELS BELG!UM
SCHIRDEW AN Martin
SCHOLZ Helmut
SCHREINEMACHER Liesje
SEMEDO Monica
SPUREK Sylwia
STEDMAN-BRYCE Louis
STEFANEC Ivan
STEFANUTA Nicolae
STRIK Tineke
TANG Paul
TAX Vera
TOLLERET Irene
TOUSSAINT Marie
UJHEL YI Istvan
URTASUN Ernest
V AN SPARRENTAK Kim
VINCZE Lorant
VITANOV Petar
VON WIESE Irina
WOLTERS Lara
YENBOU Salima
ZDANOKA Tatjana