FIFPro union says players at World Cup need more protection from racist abuse

The FIFPRO players union said on Saturday that more must be done to protect footballers from racist abuse at the World Cup being held in North America.

The Netherlands-based union said in a statement that players are suffering from “a growing pattern of abuse” on social media and in person.

“In recent weeks, players have faced abuse online and in person, much of it racist and discriminatory,” the union said. “There has been intimidation and hostility beyond the pitch. These incidents are not isolated; they point to a systemic pattern that cannot remain an accepted part of football or society.”

The union did not give specific examples of abusive incidents, but the Netherlands Football Association said after the Dutch were eliminated by Morocco in the round of 32 that some players had been “treated in a racist and discriminatory manner.”

FIFPRO asked for soccer authorities, public officials and private institutions “to increase their efforts as monitoring and reporting alone cannot change behavior or prevent harm.”

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