Spanish aim to tackle racism

The Spanish sports minister, Jaime Lissavetzky, yesterday called for racism in sport, and football in particular, to be eradicated.

The Spanish sports minister, Jaime Lissavetzky, yesterday called for racism in sport, and football in particular, to be eradicated.

Speaking at a summit meeting which addressed the upsurge in racist conduct by fans at Spanish games, Lissavetzky announced that a draft agreement against racism and xenophobia would be drawn up and punishments toughened.

"We recognise a real problem and we want to confront it directly," he said. "Football should help integration. It should be a solution to the problems of racism and xenophobia."

Lissavetzky spoke after a meeting that included high level representatives of Spain's Anti-Violence Commission and the Ministry of Interior as well as the presidents of La Liga, the Spanish federation and the players' association. Lissavetzky said the draft agreement would be drawn up by all the parties involved in football and signed "in a short time".

"Sanctions are to be strengthened to the maximum, but our desire is that all the presidents of first and second division clubs, the captains, the coaches, the referees and everyone in the world of football will meet here to sign this document against racism and xenophobia," Lissavetzky said.

In the latest racist incidents on Sunday, the referee Alfonso Perez Burrull stopped a Spanish league match because of abuse by spectators. Burrull held up the First Division game between Malaga and Espanyol to request an announcement requiring home fans to stop taunting Espanyol's Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.

In Greece, four Olympiakos fans have been jailed for violence at a match in Crete last weekend. Supporters of the Greek league leaders reacted to a 2-1 defeat by Ergotelis on Sunday by ripping up seats and fighting. Two men were sentenced to 15 months in prison. A third man was sentenced to 12 months and a fourth to six months.