You're reading: FIFA cracks down on racist, threatening behavior by forcing closed game for Ukraine

Ukraine will play its next World Cup qualifier without spectators, FIFA, the world’s top soccer governing body, ruled on Sept. 27, citing a number of discriminatory and safety infractions that took place during the Ukraine-San Marino qualifier on Sept. 6 in Lviv.

FIFA’s
disciplinary committee found
that “racist and discriminatory incidents were
apparently perpetrated by local supporters during the match, in particular by
displaying neo-Nazi banners and by making ‘monkey noises and gestures’ (toward
Brazil-born Edmar of the Ukraine team) as well as Nazi salutes.”

FIFA also
found that pyrotechnical devises were used in a number of incidents in violation
of match safety regulations.

Ukraine’s
football federation wasn’t immediately available for comment and no statement
was posted on its website at the time of publication.

The
disciplinary action was based on testimony that the match referee and
commissioner gave, as well as by an observer from Football Against Racism in
Europe who attended the match.

Ukraine’s
football federation moreover was fined 45,000 Swiss francs, while the national
team was banned from playing in the Arena Lviv stadium for the whole duration
of the next World Cup qualifying cycle leading up to the 2018 tournament in
Russia.

“The
(disciplinary) committee agreed that the offensive, denigratory and
discriminatory actions of a group of Ukrainian supporters were shameful and a
clear breach of the FIFA Disciplinary Code,” read FIFA’s statement. “In
addition, the pyrotechnical devices, which can pose considerable threats to
personal safety, are not to be tolerated.”

Ukraine’s
next World Cup qualifier is against Poland on Oct. 11 in Kharkiv.

After receiving
match reports from the Sept. 6 fixture in Lviv, FIFA launched an investigation
on Sept. 11.

Kyiv Post editor Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].