In the aftermath of the shocking racial abuse suffered by England players away at Bulgaria during a Euro 2020 qualifier, EA has revealed #NoRoomForRacism kits for FIFA 20.
The No Room For Racism campaign continues as EA try to stamp down on all forms of racism, whether it is online, in the stands, at home and or on the streets. Browse our network 5 FIFA. Audio description available. Through No Room For Racism, the Premier League and its clubs work with fans, the FA, EFL, PFA, Kick It Out and the police to tackle racism on and off the pitch, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of football. Together we can all do more to make a positive impact.
The kits, shown off in the image below that features Premier League stars Virgil van Dijk, Jesse Lingard, Tammy Abraham and James Maddison, feature the No Room For Racism slogan on the front. They will be available in FIFA 20 soon alongside matching stadium themes, EA said.
Fifa No Room For Racism Online
England's 6-0 victory over Bulgaria at the Vasil Levski national stadium in Sofia was marred by two first-half stoppages for racial abuse. Footage shows some in the stadium making Nazi salutes, and players reported hearing racist chanting.
As part of Uefa's new anti-racism protocol, the referee stopped play and asked for a public address announcement calling on the crowd to cease the abuse. Play was then stopped a second time minutes before half-time. The players made it to the break, during which the Bulgarian captain was seen pleading with his own fans. In post-match interviews, England players said a third stoppage would have resulted in the team walking off the pitch and the abandonment of the game as part of Uefa's new anti-racism protocol.
The fallout has been dramatic. Borislav Mihaylov resigned as president of the Bulgarian Football Union following pressure from the Bulgarian prime minister. The national team manager, Krasimir Balakov, has also quit. 16 people have been arrested in connection with the abuse, and Uefa has charged the Bulgarian Football Union over the racist behaviour of its fans.
Fifa No Room For Racism 2020
Mmmmh ... Not sure about this one chief https://t.co/Jyjr6vFtA8
No Room For Racism Kit Fifa 21
— Raheem Sterling (@sterling7) October 14, 2019
The incident has also thrust the issue of racism in football back into the headlines - not that it has been far from them in recent years.