Recently retired Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure criticised the plan by the apex footballing body FIFA to disband the anti-racism task force.
The player who is still playing football at club level seems not to be happy with the move by FIFA.
FIFA set up the Task Force against Racism back in 2013, but wound it up on Sunday. FIFA said the body had achieved the mission of being set-up. The general secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura said: “It had a specific mandate, which it has fully fulfilled.”
Many opposed the decision. President of the Jordan Football Association and former FIFA presidential candidate, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein was one. He said: “For it to be disbanded with FIFA considering its work done is extremely worrying. The notion the current FIFA leadership believe the task force’s recommendations have been implemented is shameful.”
Toure was a consultant for the task force. Making reference to the World Cup in 2018 in Russia, Toure said there have been instances of racist abuse. On his personal website, Toure said: “When I received the letter telling me the FIFA task force was to be discontinued, I was very disappointed. The letter listed the good work that had been carried out as a result of the task force’s advice and recommendations. So my question is, after failing to deal with racism sufficiently for decades – Why stop when something is beginning to work? Are FIFA being complacent ahead of a World Cup in Russia? This makes no sense,” said Toure.
Yaya asked that the task force continue as they work to ensure the players and fans were safe. He added that the task force could question FIFA when they were not delivering on its promises.
“My only hope is that FIFA have though this through. The letter I received does not fill me with confidence. It will be the fans and players that suffer if FIFA do not get this right,” Toure added.