Manchester City midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Toure is criticizing FIFA for its decision to disband its Anti-Racism Task Force, according to the BBC.
Toure, who was a part of the task force, said the decision to get rid of the unit would expose football players, especially players of color, to racial abuse.
“When I received the letter telling me the FIFA task force was to be discontinued, I was very disappointed,” Toure said in a statement.
The 33-year-old midfielder has been a victim of racial abuse in his professional football career.
Back in 2013, a section of CSKA Moscow fans abused the Ivorian player with racist “monkey” chants, prompting the Union of European Football Associations to sanction the club.
In his statement Tuesday, Toure challenged FIFA’s decision, “So my question is, after failing to deal with racism sufficiently for decades, why stop when something is beginning to work?”
Former FIFA Vice President Prince Bin al-Hussein has also criticized the decision to scrap the task force, saying it is “extremely worrying.”
His sentiments were also echoed by Nathan Blake, ex-Wales striker, who termed the decision as “shameful,” with the CEO of Hope Not Hate, Nick Lowles, insisting that the move is likely to send out “a really bad signal.”
Tough Penalties
The anti-racism task force, which was established by the former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, had made several important recommendations that would help fight racism in football.
One of its recommendations was the introduction of extra observers at games and tough penalties for clubs whose players, officials, or fans were found to be guilty of racism.
Yet, in response to the criticism, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura said the task force “had a specific mandate, which it has fully fulfilled.”
