UEFA charges Croatia with racism

UEFA is opening disciplinary proceedings after alleged monkey-chanting aimed at Italian Mario Balotelli at Euro 2012.
According to AlJazeera News, UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body is to announce its decision on Tuesday over what the organisation said was “the setting-off and throwing of fireworks, and the improper conduct of supporters (racist chants, racist symbols)” at Thursday’s match.The Group C match in Poznan, western Poland, finished 1-1.The sanction imposed on the Croatian football federation will be eyed closely given UEFA president Michel Platini’s repeated assertion that there was “zero tolerance” for racism – and football-related violence – in the European game.The same committee this week imposed the threat of a six-point reduction on Russia’s next European championship qualifying campaign, after missiles and fireworks were thrown at their opening Group A match against the Czech Republic on June 8.Four stewards also required hospital treatment when they were set upon after the game, which Russia won 4-1.The latest d isciplinary proceedings are the first case for racism in the competition, which started with fears of racist violence at football grounds in host countries Poland and Ukraine and which have refused to go away.UEFA is already probing separate claims that a section of Spanish fans racially abused Balotelli, who is of Ghanaian origin, and that Russian supporters taunted the Czech Republic’s Theodor Gebre Selassie, who is of Ethiopian descent. Dutch players also alleged they heard monkey noises during a public training session in Krakow, southern Poland, although no official complaint was made.The latest allegations involving Balotelli, who is one of the best known footballers in Europe, emerged after an AFP photographer and a racism monitoring body said they heard racist chanting at the Italy-Croatia match. The photographer, who was positioned in front of the majority of Croatia fans during the match, also saw a steward pick up a banana from the pitch.Balotelli, 21, has p reviously said that he would walk off the pitch if he were racially abused during a match.  Read more... (332 words)

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