If you wouldn’t say it at home, why would you say it at the stadium? What’s wrong is wrong#WhatsWrongIsWrong pic.twitter.com/4JPJraXkFE
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) June 7, 2021
At club level, LAFC in Major League Soccer had success in eradicating the chant from their matches thanks to organised fan groups preaching messages of inclusion alongside members of the club.
Has this happened before?
Yes, many times, although Mexico are of course not the only nation whose fans have engaged in discriminatory chanting.
In September 2021, Mexico defeated Jamaica 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Azteca without fans owing to prior use of the homophobic slur.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee opened proceedings during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar after the chant was heard during Mexico’s matches against Poland and Saudi Arabia. FIFA’s anti-discrimination monitoring system reported fans making repeated “discriminatory reference(s) to gay men”.
After Mexico was eliminated in the group stage, former FMF president Yon De Luisa said: “We’ve worked hand in hand with FIFA and with CONCACAF in order to prevent this. I believe that we managed to control (the chant) very well in the first two matches and practically during the entirety of the third. We recognise that this is a group effort and that the referees at competitions where Mexico typically participates are trained to resolve this type of situation.
“We believe that had (the referee) shown the (Saudi) goalkeeper a yellow card during the many times that he wasted, surely the chant would not have been heard. Our fans behaved exemplary during this World Cup.”
Mexico were fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($56,000/£44,000 at current rates) — a 50,000 fine with a further 50,000 to be spent on a campaign educating fans — and are appealing the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In June 2023, Mexico’s CONCACAF Nations League semi-final against the United States men’s national team in Las Vegas was stopped in the 90th minute with the U.S. 3-0 up. When play resumed, 12 minutes of stoppage time were signalled but more chanting prompted the referee to end the match inside eight minutes.
(John Todd/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
There were also two delays at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, during the CONCACAF Nations League final in March 2024, this time with the U.S. 2-0 up against Mexico.
CONCACAF condemned the chanting and added: “It is extremely disappointing that this matter continues to be an issue at some matches, particularly in the context of the next two years presenting such a tremendous opportunity to grow the sport in our region.
“We will continue to urge fans to support their teams positively and with respect for the opposition and all participants in the game.”
Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, added on Instagram: “Discrimination, of any kind, has no place in football and no place in society, and I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that those responsible are held to account for their actions.”
What does this mean for the 2026 World Cup?
This is the big question. Mexico will kick off in the World Cup’s opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11, then play in Guadalajara on June 18 and then back in Mexico City on June 24. The country is hosting 13 matches during the tournament.
FIFA is organising the tournament and its three-step protocol will be in place.
The consequences of a match being delayed or abandoned could range from fines to forfeiting the game.
(Top photo: Alvaro Davila/Jam Media/Getty Images)
Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5583978/2024/06/30/mexico-ecuador-copa-america-homophobic-chanting/
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Publish date : 2024-06-30 22:18:56
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