The pending decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding the contentious Sénégal-Maroc final will soon be revealed. However, one undeniable truth remains: the entire saga could have been managed far more effectively, preventing the escalation to such extreme measures as a match result being overturned months after the final whistle.
To avert similar drawn-out controversies, Fifa has introduced new directives during a recent congress in Vancouver. According to The Times, the governing body has instructed referees to immediately issue a red card to any player who exits the field of play in protest against an official’s decision.
Identical disciplinary action will be imposed on any team staff member who incites players to engage in such behavior. Furthermore, if an entire team collectively retreats to the locker room, as was seen with Sénégal, it will result in an automatic forfeiture of the match. This regulation is not entirely new; it is the very rule the CAF invoked to declare Maroc the winner by forfeit in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Fifa strengthens stance against discrimination following Vinicius incident
In a related development, Fifa has also implemented measures in response to another significant incident from recent weeks: the Vinicius-Prestianni affair. The Brazilian star accused the Benfica player of making racist remarks towards him. Ultimately, the Argentinian player was sanctioned for homophobic insults, which he admitted to uttering.
Fifa’s proactive response involves sanctioning players with a red card if they communicate with an opponent while covering their mouth with their hand. This novel approach aims to facilitate lip-reading, thereby making it easier to detect potential racist or discriminatory comments that might otherwise go unnoticed by officials or opponents.
