The following incidents of racism, xenophobia, extreme nationalism or homophobia have been reported to Fare during January 2020. This list is only likely to reflect a proportion of the incidents that occurred.

All reports have been brought to Fare’s attention through eyewitness or media accounts. A Fare observer scheme is also currently at place at UEFA club and national team competitions to monitor discriminatory behaviour.

Fare sends trained international observers to record discriminatory incidents at UEFA Champions League, Europa League, European Qualifiers and UEFA EURO 2020 as well as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Preliminary Competition.

Fare has third party reporting status with UEFA, and FIFA on international matches, and at a national level we can support incident reports made by our members.

The general public can keep us informed of national and international level incidents through the reporting form here.

01 January 2020 – English Premier League – Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea

Two Brighton supporters were removed from the Amex Stadium, one for aiming racist slurs at Chelsea players and another for being homophobic towards visiting fans.

01 January 2020 – English Premier League – Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea

A Chelsea supporter was ejected for directing homophobic abuse at Brighton supporters.

01 January 2020 – English Championship – Huddersfield Town v Stoke City

Stoke player James McClean was subjected to discriminatory sectarian abuse by Huddersfield fans. Player reported the incident to the referee who suspended play and ordered a stadium announcement calling for the sectarian chanting to stop.

01 January 2020 – English League One – Bolton Wonderers v Burton Albion

Bolton fan was ejected for racist abuse directed at Burton Albion players.

01 January 2020 – English League One - Accrington Stanley v Rochdale

Accrington Stanley player Sam Finley called Rochdale’s Paul McShane a “pikey” in a League One game, a racist word used against Roma and Traveller communities.
Finley denied using the word but told the FA: “I did make reference that Paul should go back to his caravan and that I was referencing his being Irish in doing so.”

04 January 2020 – Spanish La Liga – Getafe v Real Madrid

Getafe defender Marc Cucurella allegedly addressed Real Madrid’s Militao with the word 'mico', which means monkey in Catalan. Cucurella denied the allegations stating that he used the word ‘pico’ meaning ‘mouth’ in ‘Shut your mouth.’

04 January 2020 – Spanish Seguna B – Barcelona B v Espanyol B

Barcelona B fans were heard chanting a Nazi greeting ‘Sieg Heil’ in a song.

05 January 2020 – Spanish Segunda B - Getafe B v Celta Vigo B

A Getafe B fan racially abused Celta’s Manolito Apeh after he scored a penalty, shouting “Let’s see if you bleach, let’s see if you get whiter.”

05 January 2020 – Italian Serie A – Brescia v Lazio

Lazio fans directed monkey chants at Brescia striker Mario Balotelli. The match was temporarily stopped, and a stadium announcement made urging away fans not to sing discriminatory chants.

10 January 2020 – Brazilian Copa São Paulo juniors – Lusa v CSA

Lusa fans fans chanted xenophobic chants at CSA players for being Northeasterners.

11 January 2020 – English Championship – Stoke City v Milwall

Stoke player James McClean was subjected to discriminatory sectarian chants by Milwall fans.

11 January 2020 – Honduran National League – Platense v Motagua

Platense fans directed racist abuse at Motagua player Wilmer Crisanto

11 January 2020 – English Southern Counties East League - Rochester United v Holmesdale FC

Holmesdale FC have walked off the pitch after one of their players was racially abused and shown a red card following an altercation.

11 January 2020 - Brazilian Copa São Paulo juniors - Grêmio Osasco Audax EC v Sport Club do Recife

Audax EC fans chanted homophobic chants “O… BICHA” every time the goalkeeper of the Sport Club do Recife team performed a goal kick. The referee stopped the match twice and ordered a stadium announcement.

12 January 2020 – Spanish Preferente Youth League - Los Yébenes v EMF Aluche

Los Yebenes youth player Ibu was racially abused by Aluche fans.

12 January 2020 – English Women’s Championship - Coventry United (w) v Crystal Palace (w)

Crystal Palace Women goalkeeper Lucy Gillett was subjected to sexist abuse by Coventry fans. The men in the crowd called on the referee to "check the gender" of several Palace players.

15 January 2020 – Israeli Cup – Hapoel Beer-Sheva v Maccabi Netanya

Hapoel Beer Sheva fans racially abused Netanya player Younes Melda.

17 January 2020 – Mexican Liga MX Clausura – Atlas v Puebla

Atlas fans directed homophobic abuse at Puebla goalkeeper. The game was interrupted by the referee.

18 January 2020 – English Championship – Millwall v Reading

Millwall fans chanted homophobic chants. Referee suspended the game in the first half and ordered a stadium announcement to be made over the tannoy system. Millwall later announced the club had found no evidence of the homophobic chanting. No details of any independent investigation by the English FA are available.

18 January 2020 – Spanish La Liga – Eibar v Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid fans were filmed before the match around the stadium performing Nazi salutes marching to the game.

19 January 2020 – Italy, Torino Youth League - Barcanova U14 v Pianezza U14

Barcanova 13-year-old player Shogbandu was racially abused by Pianezza players and parents following an incident over a disputed penalty kick.

19 January 2020 – Spanish Tercera Division - Virgen del Camino v Almazan

Almazan player Edipo Rodríguez was racially abused by Virgen del Camino player throughout the match.

20 January 2020 – German Indoor Football City Cup Ulm - TSG Söflingen und SV Lilijan Ulm

TSG Söflingen player Kidane Nahom was racially abused by FC Srbija players and fans who remained around the pitch after previous game. A banana was also thrown in the direction of Nahom.

25 January 2020 – Israeli Premier League – Hapoel Beer-Sheva v Kiryat Shmona

Hapoel Beer-Sheva fans directed racist abuse at Kiryat Shmona’s Nigerian striker James Adeniyi. The referee stopped the game and took players to the locker room for several minutes.

25 January 2020 – English Southern League – Royston Town v Banbury United

Banbury United player Ravi Shamsi was racially abused by Royston Town FC supporters.

25 January 2020 – English FA Cup – Reading v Cardiff City

Cardiff away fans chanted racist and homophobic chants. A stadium announcement was made asking away fans to stop discriminatory behaviour.

25 January 2020 – Spanish La Liga – Espanyol v Athletic Bilbao

Espanyol fans directed racist monkey chants at Athletic player Iñaki Williams as he was walking off the pitch after being substituted.

29 January 2020 – Brazilian Campeonato Carioca – Flamengo v Fluminense

Flamengo fans chanted homophobic abuse at Fluminense.

30 January 2020 – Wales Amateur League - Trallwm AFC v Gorseinon Athletic Reserves

The game was abandoned after an allegation of racial abuse.

Media/ Social Media

04 January 2020 – English FA Cup - Birmingham-Blackburn

West Midlands police are investigating allegations of racial abuse on social media that followed Birmingham's FA Cup third-round victory over Blackburn on Saturday.

05 January 2020 – England – Twitter - Port Vale striker Tom Pope

Port Vale striker Tom Pope a series of tweets with an antisemitic stereotype linking the Rothschilds to “every bank on the planet. The player was charged by the English FA.

13 January 2020 – Twitter – Mansfield Town, Mal Benning

A post was sent from a Chesterfield supporter to Mansfield's British-Asian defender Mal Benning. The incident was investigated by the police.

15 January 2020 - Mexican Liga MX

Liga MX have suspended Monterrey defender Jesus Gallardo for two games following anti-gay slur used by the player during title celebrations after Monterrey v Club America Apertura final on 26 December 2019.

17 January 2020 - Scott Robertson, Scottish Junior Football Association West Region

Scott Robertson, general secretary of the Scottish Junior Football Association's West Region made a racist remark during the meeting using the phrase ‘n-word in the woodpile.’ He has since had to resign from his position.

Sanctions

08 January 2020 – Italian Serie A – Lazio

Lazio have been fined 20,000 Eur for their fans' racist abuse of Brescia striker Mario Balotelli on 5 January 2020.

09 January 2020 – English FA – National League – Hartlepool United

Hartlepool United have been fined £7,500 (with £5,000 of which suspended until the end of the 2020-21 season) by the Football Association following the racist abuse incident against Dover Athletic on 21 September 2019.

28 January 2020 – La Liga – Espanyol

Espanyol identified and banned 12 supporters who racially abused Athletic player Iñaki Williams on 25 January 2020. La Liga were looking to sanction Espanyol with a partial stadium closure.

31 January 2020 – English National League – Hartlepool United

Hartlepool United have been fined £7,500, including £5,000 suspended for 18 months after being found guilty of failing to ensure their fans refrained from using racially abusive language on 21 September 2019 during the game against Dover Athletic. Both sides almost walked off the pitch during the National League fixture. Hartlepool have banned two individuals from attending any of their matches.

31 January 2020 – English Premier League – Brighton & Hove Albion fan

A Brighton supporter received an eight-week prison sentence for using racist language during the game against Tottenham at the Amex Stadium on 5 October 2019.