FARE back UEFA racism appeal

A leading anti-discrimination network has backed UEFA's decision to appeal the sanctions given to Serbia following racist abuse in an Under-21 match against Liverpool.

The Serbian FA were fined £65,000 and the Under-21 team ordered to play their next match behind closed doors, a punishment many considered to be far too lenient.

UEFA have decided to appeal against all punishments handed out by the disciplinary body, and anti-discrimination network FARE believes that European football's governing body has done the right thing.

"UEFA's decision to appeal is very welcome. We had been lobbying for it and like a lot of other people within UEFA felt this was the right thing to do," said FARE executive director Piara Powar.

"UEFA now have an opportunity to send out a message and it takes a lot of honesty and self-reflection to admit that one arm of the organisation got it wrong.

"It's a good lead for other national associations to follow if they issue a sanction that on reflection doesn't get the right message across, such as the [English] FA in a certain case earlier this year."

England duo Thomas Ince and Steven Caulker were also awarded one and two-match bans respectively for their part in a mass brawl which broke out at the end of the match.