29.12.2014

Spanish FA create work group to tackle discrimination

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have announced a new work group to analyse and study the issues around violence, discrimination and intolerance in Spanish football.

The work group will be created to "improve the current law on violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance" and will be constituted of representatives of all levels of the Spanish football, read a RFEF statement.

"It is important to highlight that the measures agreed over the last meetings already exist, and most of them are part of the current law, but some have now been introduced in the Disciplinary Code, including the possibility to partially close stadiums and the creation of a new position for an official that will deal with the issues around security at football grounds." added the statement.

The work group is the latest measure announced by Spanish football authorities to challenge discriminatory and intolerant behaviour following a number of incidents in domestic football in 2014.

LFP addresses racism and verbal abuse
Over the last two months, the Spanish Professional League (LFP) also reinforced, its commitment to challenge discrimination in football through a series of new initiatives, including the development of awareness-raising campaigns, the investment in training to eradicate verbal abuse and the signing of a Ibero-American agreement on racism and football for inclusion.

Earlier this month, an Andalusian initiative highlighted the need to close the gender gap between men and women in sport.

Local media, sports federations and public institutions came together to sign a seven point plan that aims to broaden the coverage of less established and well known sports and sporting events in the region; eradicate prejudices and discriminatory language from all sporting content produced; increase the coverage of parasport; close the gender gap between male and female journalists and reporters; and increase the air time of women’s sports.

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