UEFA plays FARE
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Article summary
UEFA gave further support to the fight against racism by staging a football match in Nyon on Monday.
Article body
The Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) Action Week is drawing to a close with UEFA giving further support to its partner by staging a match in Nyon, Switzerland, on Monday.
UEFA HQ visit
A team composed of UEFA staff members played against footballers from the Organisation Sportive Africa-Suisse at the Colovray Stadium opposite UEFA's headquarters. Before the game the visitors were shown around UEFA's House of European Football and viewed the many European trophies on display, before emerging as 3-1 winners on the pitch.
UEFA Champions League platform
The FARE Action Week was given a high-profile platform at last week's UEFA Champions League ties, with hundreds of thousands of fans in the stadiums and millions of television viewers reminded that racism, intolerance and violence have no place in football. Non-governmental organisations, fan groups, clubs, national associations, ethnic minorities, players' unions, youth groups and schools across Europe have all taken part in the FARE Action Week. European professional domestic leagues have also participated in the campaign.
Racism – unacceptable and unwanted
"We want to see the 'beautiful game' played without the cancer of racism," says FARE. "Football is the biggest sport in the world and belongs to us all. It should be the right of every person to play, watch and discuss it freely, without fear. Unfortunately, at all levels of the game, from amateur to international, there are incidents of racism. Be it from fans, players, clubs or other football bodies, FARE believes that such behaviour, on and off the field, is unacceptable and unwanted by the majority of fans and players."
