Sepp Blatter racism comments: Jason Roberts, Clarke Carlisle and Gordon Taylor hit out (From Asian Image)

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Sepp Blatter racism comments: Jason Roberts, Clarke Carlisle and Gordon Taylor hit out

9:15am Thursday 17th November 2011 in Sport

'NO RACISM' Sepp Blatter

Gordon Taylor, Jason Roberts and Clarke Carlisle have joined in criticism of FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments that racist abuse between footballers should be settled by a handshake.

Blatter's leadership of the sport's governing body has called into question after he made the comments in two separate television interviews yesterday to provoke an angry response from around the football world.

Asked if racism was a problem on the pitch, Blatter had earlier told CNN World Sport: "I would deny it.

There is no racism, there is maybe one of the players towards another, he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one, but also the one who is affected by that.

"He should say that this is a game. We are in a game, and at the end of the game, we shake hands, and this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination. "

He also said on Al Jazeera: "During a match you may say something to someone who's not looking exactly like you, but at end of match it's forgotten."

Former Blackburn Rovers winger Gordon Taylor, now the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, called on Blatter to resign.

He told Sky News: "He is the leader of world football, he has to be a leader in anti-racism.

"Coming on top of his comments which were offensive about female footballers, his homophobic comments about homosexuals not going to Qatar, the World Cup bidding process, he won't have technology over goal-line decisions and the corruption which is so plainly evident at FIFA. It is time for him to go.

Mr Taylor, who lives in the Ribble Valley, added: "I believe it is the straw which broke the camel's back.

"He should step aside so we can see what Michel Platini can do."

Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle, the PFA chairman and a Kick It Out ambassador, warned that Blatter's comments run the risk of undermining years of work aimed at eradicating racism from the game.

"We've come through some 20 or 30 years of campaigning to bring racism to the height of awareness that it is at the moment," Carlisle, who is on a season-long loan at Preston North End, told Radio 5 Live.

"To come so far on such a sensitive topic, [yet] in one fell swoop he can almost give carte blanche that racism is acceptable between the hours of 3pm and 4.45pm on a Saturday."

Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts said: "Obviously I’m outraged, like I think any right-minded individual is. “He’s obviously been honest enough or foolish enough to say exactly what he feels about the situation. “He’s speaking for other organisations as well if you look at their actions and how they’ve dealt with the issues that have come about over race in football. "What he’s done is said is exactly what they’re thinking. “It’s hugely insulting for the people who have been affected by it, it’s something that has touched me personally and touched my family. “He can resign, certainly, but if the relevant authorities don’t act differently with the issues that are prevalent in football then we’re in danger of telling society that it’s not an issue we care about, and I hope that’s not the case.”

Blatter attempted to douse the brewing controversy by issuing a statement on FIFA's official website, where he pledged his commitment to stamping out racism from football.

"I would like to make it very clear, I am committed to the fight against racism and any type of discrimination in football and in society," the statement read.

"I have been personally leading this battle against racism in football, which FIFA has been fighting against throughout the past years through campaigns in all of our competitions such as the 'Say no to racism' campaign.

"I also know that racism unfortunately continues to exist in football, and I have never denied this.

"I know that it is a big problem in society, and that it also affects sport.

"I strongly believe that we should continue to fight all together against racism on and off the field of play, in order to eradicate this plague.

"My comments have been misunderstood. What I wanted to express is that, as football players, during a match, you have 'battles' with your opponents, and sometimes things are done which are wrong.

"But, normally, at the end of the match, you apologise to your opponent if you had a confrontation during the match, you shake hands, and when the game is over, it is over.

"Anyone who has played a football match, or a match in any sport, knows that this is the case.

"Having said that, I want to stress again that I do not want to diminish the dimension of the problem of racism in society and in sport.

"I am committed to fighting this plague and kicking it out of football."

Comments(31)

Centaur says...
10:28am Thu 17 Nov 11

FGS...Sepp is using common sense. Don't get on your hobby horse because you are of a different colour (whatever that colour is!). It seems very clear that the only people who are getting excited about little or nothing are the actual racists here.
I do not care whatever anybodys colour is, just how they conduct themselves and how they behave. As for football, it has turned from a working mans sport into a money making business providing a platform for footballers who would otherwise not get to sell papers on the street (Big Issue?)