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NGO Ibase:FIFAs measures against racism are weak
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-16 15:29
Brazilian NGO Ibase said today that FIFA should promote a world campaign against racism in football.

Luciano Cerqueira, head of Dialogues Against Racism, a group formed several Brazilian NGOs, said that the measures against racism taken by FIFA during the World Cup are weak.

Just showing a banner saying Say No to Racism before the games is not enough, said Cerqueira. FIFA is a large organization that has the proper conditions to make a stronger campaign in the World Cup stadiums and on TV, he added.

Cerqueira recognizes that FIFA is worried about racism problems, but the Federation should do much more.

FIFA has taken an important step but it is still a small one, he said.

Cerqueira added that it is important that FIFA's measures should not be restricted to the World Cup, but should be also taken in the most important leagues like the Spanish, Italian and Brazilian ones. "We will continue campaigning until we guarantee that no player is offended because of his color," he said.

At the beginning of the year Dialogues Against Racism sent a petition against Racism with over 6,000 signatures to FIFA, to the Spanish Football Federation and to UEFA.