Soccer fans don’t pay much attention to the sport during the off-season, which is mostly full of rumors, and last week a small-huge piece of news was announced, saying FIFA, the umbrella organization of all soccer federations in the world, is demanding stricter punishment for expressions of racism on soccer fields.
This is not a technical or specific decision, but a clear warning and a strong message to every local association: either act with stronger tools against racist chants, or you will pay a price.
And what is that price? Stopping games, closing stands, and even demoting teams – none of these are theoretical scenarios, but steps that FIFA intends to demand be implemented against countries that do not enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards racism on the field.
Meanwhile, the Israel Football Association faces a very complex challenge. It is not indifferent. It is aware of the sensitivity, the gaps between law and enforcement, the fear of collective punishment that harms the peaceful majority. But in the face of the clear policy dictated by FIFA, it will no longer be possible to be satisfied with good intentions. The data speak for themselves – and they are bad. The trend is clear and we are experiencing a dramatic increase in incidents.
The 2024-25 season summary of Givat Haviva’s “Kick It Out” program reported 367 racist chants on Premier League fields – a 64% increase from the previous season. This is the third season in a row during which a negative record was broken. This expanding phenomenon takes on harsh, sometimes violent, sometimes humiliating verbal expression. Chants like “May your village burn,” “Let the IDF win, f**k the Arabs,” and chants of “terrorist, terrorist” to every player, and even referees, for being Arab – are becoming an unbearable backdrop to the football experience.
Along with these, 165 violent incidents, two games that were halted and not finished due to fan behavior, and chants that insult minorities, the Holocaust, and the LGBT community. All of this emphasizes the depth of the crisis and the need to formulate a comprehensive and uncompromising policy.
Particularly now, out of a sense of responsibility, a new approach is needed: a combination of education, enforcement, partnership with the fans, and implementation of international standards. Not punishment for punishment’s sake, but a clear message: soccer is a space of values, not of incitement.
FIFA has drawn the line, and the “Kick It Out” report shows that this line is more relevant than ever. Starting next season, Israeli soccer teams will be scrutinized in an unprecedented manner, with an emphasis on measures taken against manifestations of racism. The time has come to take responsibility and decide in which direction we will go. “Kick It Out” – as a program committed to this struggle for two decades, offering a systematic, active plan for dealing with the issue – is at the decision-makers’ disposal should they choose to pick up the gauntlet that has been thrown their way. Together, we will turn the threat of sanctions into an opportunity to restore Israeli soccer, which we love so much, from the scourge of racism and violence.
Matan Segal, Director of the “Kick It Out” Program
Read the article in –YNET. (Hebrew)
