In response to accusations of racism against Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has suggested that players who cover their lips when speaking to opponents might be sent off.
During a Champions League match last month, Prestianni of Argentina was accused of racially insulting Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid while hiding his lips with his shirt.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting on Saturday included a discussion of the matter.
“Obviously, a player must be sent off if he covers his mouth and says something that has a racist connotation,” Infantino stated on Sky News.
He wouldn’t have needed to conceal his mouth if it weren’t assumed that he had uttered something inappropriate.
“I just don’t get it; you don’t cover your lips when you speak if you have nothing to conceal. That’s all there is to it.
“And in order to be serious about our fight against racism, we have to and can take these actions.”
Football’s governing body may decide to take action to prevent players from covering their lips during this year’s World Cup at the FIFA Congress, which will take place in Vancouver next month.
Additionally, Infantino said that the penalties for racist abuse can vary based on whether the offending player issues a public apology.
“Perhaps we should consider not only punishing, but also allowing, altering our culture, and allowing players or anyone who does something to apologize,” he continued.
“You can do things that you don’t want to do in a moment of anger (and) apologize, and then the sanction has to be different, to move one step further, and maybe we should think about something like that as well.”
Pending the conclusion of a UEFA investigation, Prestianni was given a temporary suspension for the second leg of the Champions League match. If convicted, he may face a 10-match penalty. He denies mistreating Vinicius on the basis of race.
