Uefa's Three-Step Racism Protocol: Addressing Discrimination in Stadiums
Uefa introduced a three-step racism protocol in 2009 to address discriminatory incidents in stadiums. The protocol empowers referees to stop or even abandon matches if racist behavior persists. If a referee identifies a racist incident, they will follow a specific procedure. The match will only be abandoned after assessing the safety of players and spectators, and the case will be referred to Uefa's disciplinary authorities.
In 2019, during England's game against Bulgaria in Sofia, the match was halted twice due to racist abuse directed at Tyrone Mings and Raheem Sterling. Bulgaria was sanctioned with two matches behind closed doors and a fine of 75,000 euros by Uefa. Despite previous instances of racism towards England Under-21 players by Serbia fans, the protocol was not activated. Serbia's FA faced a fine of £16,000 at the 2007 European Championship for racially abusing England's Nedum Onuoha. Subsequently, in 2012, England's Danny Rose was sent off for reacting to racist chants during a Euros qualifier in Krusevac.
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