'Fines inadequate to deal with racism' - Sepp Blatter

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said yesterday fines for racism in soccer had not been effective and called for a new tougher approach.

Blatter told a news conference he hoped to agree a unified approach with confederations and national associations with defined penalties, including docking points and excluding clubs from competitions for persistent breaches.

"It is clear that in terms of manifestations of racism a financial sanction has not been adequate to fight it," Blatter said.

"We think we will have a unity of doctrine in the national associations and confederations and that this unity will be laid out in January.

"It will mean taking away points, or starting to take away points from the team, which could also lead to relegation, and also suspensions or exclusion."

Five clubs received fines, albeit small ones, for racist behaviour by their fans last season.

UEFA vice-president Per Ravn Omdal said recently that clubs, players and even national associations would face expulsion if they were found guilty of sustained racism.

Blatter also said FIFA was holding discussions with national federations about compensation for clubs who released players to take part in national games.

"It would only be normal and it would show a little respect to the clubs that release their players to the national team," Blatter said.

The president also confirmed the financial health of the governing body, which has 460 million Swiss francs ($355.2 million) in reserves at present.

Home-grown talent

On Monday, Blatter criticised Chelsea for spending too much on foreign players.

"If a club can only have five foreigners among their starting 11, then they will have to build on their own youth system," he said.

"If Chelsea were forced to have five foreigners then Roman Abramovich could not go on buying the best players across the world for huge fees.

"Chelsea is the example of what should not happen."

Before last week's FIFA Club World Championship in Japan, Blatter had reiterated his desire for clubs to field at least six homegrown players in order to limit the number of foreigners in their teams.

"The solution is that there should be a minimum," Blatter added. "FIFA's idea is we should have at least six players eligible for the national team of the country in which they play."

UEFA had foreign player quotas until 1995 when the Bosman ruling demolished restrictions on the number of overseas players clubs could have.

Blatter said a FIFA taskforce was examining the "national identity" of clubs to help reverse a trend that could hurt the development of local players.

"The national identity of clubs is very important," he said. "(But) the regulations of club competitions are not made by FIFA but by the national associations.

"It's up to them and their leagues to limit the entry of foreign players."