Harsher sanctions needed for racism – Toure

Yaya Toure believes more needs to be done by football’s governing bodies to punish those found guilty of racism.

The Manchester City midfielder was subject to racist taunts during a UEFA Champions League at CSKA Moscow in October 2013.

UEFA punished that offence by ordering a partial stadium closure on the Russian Premier League side.

But Toure, speaking at the launch of FIFA’s Anti-Discrimination Monitoring System in London, feels more strigent measures are needed.

“For me, the real matter is we need harsher sanctions – not just closing part of the stadium or giving them a level of a fine,” he said.

“We can see now we have a couple of clubs who are bigger than a country and they pay maybe £20,000 and something like that. For me that is not enough, we need to do more.”

The new FIFA initiative will see an Anti-Discrimination Match Observer assigned to games in qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup that are considered high risk of discrimination, and a report will be compiled to football’s leading governing body within 24 hours.

And Toure hopes the scheme will have a positive impact.

“When FIFA called to invite me to be involved, I said yes straight away because for me something has to be done,” the Ivorian added.

“We need to see this change. In England especially, to be honest with you, I have never seen that argument and I think it is fantastic. And that’s what I want in other countries, especially in that side of the world in Russia and Ukraine.”