How did the referees fight racism at the FIFA Club World Cup?

(NLDO) - In the final minutes of the match between Real Madrid and Pachuca, referee Ramon Abatti activated the FIFA protocol on "anti-racist behavior".

The match was interrupted for a few minutes and the image of the Brazilian referee crossing his arms in the middle of the field will probably be remembered by fans forever. For the first time in an official tournament, the referee had to activate the FIFA protocol on "anti-racism", as a reminder that people are still living in a world where there is a lot of discrimination based on skin color and ethnicity, creating division and hatred between ethnic communities.

Referee Ramon Abatti activates 'anti-racist behavior' protocol

After a controversial move that could have resulted in a penalty in Real Madrid's favor, German midfielder Antonio Rudiger reported to the referee insults from Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral and several other players of the Mexican team.

The Argentine defender used to play for Celta Vigo in La Liga so he has a lot of "grudges" with Rudiger when his team faced Real Madrid.

Rudiger entered the field from minute 78

Referee Abatti made a crossed-arms gesture and stopped play, as per FIFA rules. The ball restarted a few minutes later, but the tension between Rüdiger and Cabral continued after the final whistle. There has been no official statement on the incident, although FIFA sanctions are expected in the coming days.

Gustavo Cabral (22), the player criticized after the match

In an interview with the press regarding this controversy, Gustavo Cabral said: "I call him a terrible coward." However, no one is sure that the Argentine defender only said those things to Rudiger.

Coach Xabi Alonso reacted strongly to the behavior of Pachuca players

Coach Xabi Alonso, when asked about the incident, was quite upset: "Antonio told us and on the field, the referee activated the anti-racism protocol according to FIFA regulations. The issue will definitely be investigated.

These are things that should not happen in a match like this or anywhere. We cannot tolerate such racist behavior and expect FIFA to take strong measures. The team supports Rudiger."

What does the action of crossing arms mean?

FIFA defines the gesture as follows: "By crossing their arms at the wrist, a player can directly indicate to the referee that they are being racially discriminated against. The referee will then trigger the three-level procedure for such incidents."

In the event of a racist incident caused by the public, the referee must signal with an established gesture to initiate the protocol at three levels:

Level 1: Disruption of Play: There will be an announcement at the venue to inform spectators of the reason for the interruption and a warning that if this behaviour does not stop, the match will be suspended.

Level 2: Stoppage of Play: If the behaviour continues after the restart, the referee will stop the game and ask the teams to return to the locker rooms. An announcement will be made at the stadium to inform the teams of the reason for the interruption and warn that if the behaviour does not stop, the game will be stopped permanently.

Level 3: Stopping the match decisively: If the behaviour continues after the restart, the referee will stop the match decisively. The referee will only take this step after consulting with the relevant authorities and experts, and if the referee considers it safe to do so.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/trong-tai-chong-phan-biet-chung-toc-ra-sao-tai-fifa-club-world-cup-196250623080155329.htm