LONDON (Reuters) – The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) is pushing to make racist abuse a sackable offence for professional footballers in England next season.
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor wants to see changes made to every Premier League and Football League player’s contract after two controversial incidents this season.
The PFA will present the proposal to the Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee (PFNCC), which includes the Premier League and the Football League.
“We’re just about to bring it to the PFNCC, the body by which we bring the issues to the Premier League and Football League, and I don’t see a problem with that being introduced,” Taylor told the Guardian newspaper website (www.guardian.co.uk) on Thursday.
“It just highlights the point in the standard players’ contract. It would say that racist abuse, if found guilty, will be classed as gross misconduct and a reason to terminate a contract. I feel it’s important to highlight it, bearing in mind what has happened, and not mess about with it and not afford for anybody to be ambiguous about what the consequences are.
“I’m not saying it’s ambiguous (now). But just to really put it in there means there is no misunderstanding on how serious we take it. If any player is found guilty of racist abuse, the club and the player need to be aware that could be a solid reason for terminating the contract.”
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a Premier League match at Anfield in October.
Chelsea captain John Terry will go on trial in July after he pleaded not guilty to racially abusing Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers during a Premier League match in October.