MOSCOW (AP) β The general secretary of Russian Football Union says the organization needs to crack down on the “virus” of racism ahead of hosting the 2018 World Cup.
Anatoly Vorobyov tells The Associated Press that “unfortunately not everything is going smoothly” with Russia’s fight against soccer racism and that the country is “under a microscope” ahead of the World Cup.
Vorobyov says the RFU has sufficient powers to punish clubs whose fans make racist displays, but “perhaps they need to be used more strictly.”
He says the organization is preparing to appoint a new anti-racism czar to lead education efforts and gather evidence for disciplinary cases.
Last week, FIFA president Sepp Blatter told the AP that Russia could face sanctions if its record on racism does not improve.
