Brazilian Football Implements Ground-Breaking Measures to Combat Racism

March 3, 2022 

Last month, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) introduced first-of-its-kind rules to address racism. The new regulations, which took effect during the February 22 Copa do Brasil, allow it to sanction teams with points deductions if their fans or employees commit discrimination. The statute was approved by all 20 Serie A clubs.

Specifically within Brazilian football, racism has been a persistent issue. In 2021/2022 there was a 53% increase in reports of racial abuse in the professional game between seasons. CBF's plans were revealed following its General Regulation of Competitions meeting as part of efforts to combat the increasing levels of racism throughout the sport. 

"Racial discrimination is a crime and our job is to shed light on the issue," said CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues. "We hope that we can have the support of all the clubs, all the fans, all segments of society, all of the press, so that this does not remain just cosmetic.” Rodrigues is the first Black president to lead the CBF in the over 100 years of the organization's history and has pledged to eradicate racism within football.

The Confederation's actions follow a law introduced in January by President Lula da Silva that made racial insults a crime in Brazilian football and imposed greater penalties for offenses committed at sporting events. Besides a loss of points, penalties can include a R$ 90,000 fine which can be doubled if there is a second incident. The new measures also hope to spark support from fans and motivate them to police racist behaviors based on the belief that they would want to avoid their favorite team losing points.

Tony Burnett, Chief Executive of Kick It Out – English football’s equality and inclusion organization dedicated to eradicating all discrimination in the game – told Sky Sports that he hopes CBF’s regulations will spark other federations around the world to follow suit. “We've had this conversation for years about the lack of impact financial sanctions have on clubs. This is an obvious and serious next step. If change isn't forthcoming, and we all know the countries involved in this, then points deductions should become a reality.” 

Sources: Sky Sports / Yahoo Sport