Soccer News

QPR manager Neil Warnock has slammed FIFA president Sepp Blatter over comments in relation to the row surrounding racism in football.

Blatter suggested that players who have been racially abused within a game of football should resolve the matter with a handshake.

The Hoops’ boss has since condemned these comments and claimed that the head of world football must face the axe, suggesting that players should strike in order to force him to resign.

“Racism does happen on the field of play and the shaking of a hand just doesn’t put it right,” said Warnock.

“But who is going to sack him? I don’t see that anybody is going to sack him.”

“I think the only way we could get him out of the situation that he is in is if every black player in the country, in every country, refused to play in the next international game.”

“That’s the only way. Nothing else is going to get him out until he wants to go.”

While the 75-year-old Swiss has apologised, admitting that his comments had caused offence and claiming that he ‘deeply regretted’ the use of ‘unfortunate words’, the former Sheffield United boss doubts the sincerity behind it.

“He’s a clever old man. You can make any apology sound sincere if you want to,” he said.

“I don’t think he’ll give two hoots, if I’m honest. Not about England. Some of the other countries put [racism] under the carpet. I look at Spain and it is not as vital or major an issue over there like it is in England.”

Blatter has also been criticised in recent years for his apparent aversion to the adoption of goal-line technology, and Warnock explained that this was a factor behind his dislike for the FIFA boss.

“I’ve thought that [Blatter should go] for many years, not just now,” he said.

“The way he’s fought not to have goal-line technology. We’ve had men on the moon for I don’t know how many years and we can’t put two cameras between two goalposts. If we can’t get that through – I dread to think.”