Racist Remarks At Soccer Games Not Sanctionable
Yelling out racist insults and being a total idiot at a football (soccer) game in Costa Rica will not be punished and neither will the offenders be ejected or banned from future games.

That is one the principal failures of the disciplinary regulations governing soccer games, especially of championship games when emotions at the stadium run high.

Players, managers, trainers and even waterboys are banned from racist remarks and face possible sanctions if caught.

The subject of racism at soccer games hit a high on Sunday during an Alajuela - Heredia game when Heredia manager, Carlos Watson, was the subject of racial remarks at the Alejandro Morera Soto stadium in Alajuela.

Watson got a "red" card from the game official after he shouted back racial slurs at a fan who was behind the fence insulting him.

According to the regulations governing soccer games at the country's stadiums, the home team can be fined by the Tribunal Disciplinario (soccer federation disciplinary tribunal) ¢500.000 colones if any fan, including a police official, is admitted carrying in or allowed to display any discriminatory or racist sign.

However, no sanctions are applicable if the insult is verbal.

"If it were within my reach I would do something, because the insults towards me hurt", said Watson. Watson added that the soccer federation could adopt measures used in other countries to limit these types of occurrences.

Jorge Ortega, president of the UNAFUT, explained that there should be norms that punish racist remarks, especially in the case like Sunday when the offender was in a restricted area, behind the fence, entering under the guise of being a sports news reporter.

"It is impossible to sanction a fan, but in the case like Sunday, the person entered a restricted area as a news reporter, in which case the club should limit that person's future access to the stadium, the dressing rooms, etc.", said Ortega.

Ortega added that, in recognizing the flaw in the regulations, the large clubs like Liga Alajuense and Saprissa, could effect a change to the regulation and limit these types of occurrences at the soccer games.

Sunday was not an isolate incident.

Racist remarks are growing part of the game and both the players and the managers are in favour of changes, including adopting similar regulations used by the Federación Internacional de Fútbol Asociado (FIFA).

Watson said yesterday that the man who insulted him on Sunday is a former employee of Radio Victoria. The radio station confirmed that the man no longer works with them since February.