'He has to be sent off, obviously': Bizarre act FIFA boss wants players red carded for
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has raised the prospect of red cards being shown to players who cover their mouths when confronting opponents.
The issue has been highlighted in recent weeks after Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior said he was racially insulted by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League match.
Prestianni, who denies the allegations, had approached Vinicius while covering his mouth with his jersey during Madrid's 1-0 win in the first leg of the playoff match.
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He was provisionally suspended for the second leg while an investigation was being carried out.
The issue of players covering their mouths was discussed on Sunday at a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica speaks towards Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid. Getty
Measures could come into force at this year's World Cup.
“If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously,” Infantino told Sky News.
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“There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn’t have said, otherwise he wouldn’t have had to cover his mouth.
“I simply do not understand - if you don’t have something to hide, you don’t hide your mouth when you say something.
“That’s it, as simple as that. And these are actions that we can take and we have to take in order to be serious about our fight against racism.”
