Brazilian footballer Richarlison, who plays for Watford in England, has demanded action after being subjected to alleged racist abuse at his club’s match during a friendly game in Paris against Tunisia.

At the time of writing, West Bromwich Albion forward Grzegorz Krychowiak has also been racially abused by fans at the same stadium and suffered further racist behavior from the same group of supporters. According to Betonmobile, Premier League clubs will be required to install safe-standing areas in their stadiums if they wish to proceed with plans to redevelop their grounds.

Not an isolated incident

Brazilian football player Richarlison de Andrade responded angrily to being targeted with racial abuse when he scored a goal for his country in the lead-up to this year’s World Cup. After celebrating in front of Tunisia supporters during the matchup, the forward was pelted with objects such as bananas and plastic cups.

Many players are asking for advertisers to boycott these stadiums to help send a message to the fans and staff. Pari bookmaker has released a statement condemning the behavior of the fans in the Paris game between brazil and Tunisia. They urged fans to be respectful to players and not tarnish the image of the game of football

Several high-profile players, including Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli, have now spoken out against incidents like these. Chelsea’s Willian also said that he was abused by racist chanting whilst playing at Russia 2018 – but says it is not something new and has been going on for many years.

I’ve played against French teams before too and I’ve had things thrown at me, Willian said after Brazil beat Serbia 2-0. It’s not just about people trying to show their racism here. It happens all around the world and we need more action to stop this kind of thing from happening. I don’t know what needs to happen for them to take it seriously. In my country, they’re taking it seriously but they need to do the same everywhere else.

How widespread is this behavior?

The banana-throwing incident is just the latest in a long line of racist incidents. In 2017, Liverpool player Mohamed Salah was allegedly subjected to racist abuse by West Ham fans, and also that same year a Tottenham fan threw a banana at Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Some measures can be taken. The first is for the police to get involved, as it is illegal under Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 for anyone to throw or hurl any missile at or towards any person. The second measure would be for clubs themselves to take stronger action against their supporters when they know they have been engaging in this behavior previously. For example, Manchester City banned two of its club members after they were seen making monkey gestures on television cameras during a match last year.

The third measure is for referees to act more quickly in response to these situations before players come off the pitch – especially if one side has been more seriously affected than another – and hand out red cards immediately. For example, during Euro 2016 France was playing Romania when French striker Antoine Griezmann picked up an object thrown from the stands and held it up high so that TV cameras could capture it clearly; he later tweeted about his frustration at not being able to do anything about it at the time but wished he had reacted differently to make them famous.


Fines Are Insufficient

Racism is an issue all across the world, and while it’s not as prevalent in some countries, it still exists. One of the most recent cases of racist behavior was a banana that was thrown at Brazilian player Richarlison during a match against Rennes. The fan who threw the banana has been banned from attending matches for life, but other fans have suggested that this punishment is insufficient.
The fan who threw the banana claimed that he meant no offense by doing so and that it was just fun between friends but many people are still questioning if this is true. The entire situation could have been avoided had he not brought bananas into the stadium because there were plenty of other foods he could have brought with him instead.

Utilize Video Technology

It is not uncommon for racial abuse to occur at matches. But the most recent event, where a banana was thrown at Brazilian player Richarlison during a match against French side Nice, has been met with increasing anger and frustration from players and supporters alike.
Brazilian footballer Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior said that he was appalled by the incident and urged authorities to take action.
We need these kinds of episodes not just to stop happening but also to be punished, so it doesn’t happen again, he said.


Educate fans

The banana-throwing incident is racist and unacceptable. It has been a recurring problem at the Parc des Princes this season with supporters of PSG and Lille having targeted players from different teams including Neymar and Mbappe. The issue needs to be tackled by UEFA, FIFA, the French Football Association, and also clubs themselves. Enough should not be allowed to just go on as usual with these sorts of incidents.

Ban Those Involved From the Stadium

Banning those involved from the stadium would be a good start. The recent banning of Chelsea fans from traveling to Liverpool for a Uefa Youth League match is evidence that there are punishments in place for those who engage in racist behavior. A ban on all English clubs playing abroad, or at home, until the perpetrators are found would also send out a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated and is not acceptable. This would have an impact on the careers of those perpetrators as they could find themselves struggling to find employment outside of football if they continue with such behavior. An appropriate punishment should also be given to these individuals so they do not get away with just a slap on the wrist.