players that walk off the pitch at Euro 2012 will be Booked

[ChazzyBHA]

From the BBC:

Uefa president Michel Platini says that any players who walk off the pitch at Euro 2012 due to racial abuse will be booked.
A BBC Panorama programme highlighted racism incidents at grounds in Poland and Ukraine, who co-host Euro 2012.
Manchester City and Italy striker Mario Balotelli threatened to walk off the pitch if he believed he was a victim.
But Platini said: "It's a yellow card. It's not a player - Mr Balotelli - who's in charge of refereeing."
Platini insists officials will deal with any racist incidents that occur during the tournament, which begins on Friday. "It's the referee who takes these decisions. Referees can finish the game. They have this power in case of racism," Platini told the BBC sports editor David Bond.
"That is, I think, the best way to protect the game against racism.
"The referee has been given advice and he can stop the game if there are problems."

Personally I think this is a horrific horrific decision.

 

[Badger]

I saw some of the interview with Platini last night, he comes across as an out-of-touch, arrogant prick. He'll fit in nicely if he takes over from Sepp as FIFA president.
I don't think players should be walking off the pitch but I certainly wouldn't blame them if the officials weren't dealing with it and booking them is just an insult.

 

[Stat Brother]

That will certainly cure it.

 

[essbee]

Strange - I have never seen those twonks Blatter and Platini in the same room, ever.

 

[ExmouthExile]

I think they'll take the booking and still leave the pitch - it's a matter of principle.

 

[Falkor]

I think they'll take the booking and still leave the pitch - it's a matter of principle.

And i can see a whole team walking of that is what Italy have said they will do

 

[albion534]

It's like the refs behind the goal, they don't have the balls to make an actual decision

Likewise the ref won't have the balls to actually call a game off, the death threats he would most likely receive after aswell

Just another ploy by platini and blatter. To try and show they're taking it seriously

 

[leigull]

If I was cynical I'd suggest maybe he's panicking that players might actually make a stand against racist abuse and rather than have to deal with the consequences, he's just trying to deter people from walking off and telling them to just get on with it?

 

[Simster]

Ukraine v England - Ashley Young subjected to a crescendo of monkey noises, decides to walk off. You can imagine John Terry being visibly ANGRY at Young for "letting his team down".

 

[Simster]

If I was cynical I'd suggest maybe he's panicking that players might actually make a stand against racist abuse and rather than have to deal with the consequences, he's just trying to deter people from walking off and telling them to just get on with it?

I don't think you have to be cynical to arrive at that conclusion. I'd be more impressed if you could point out any other conclusion we could actually choose to draw from this stupid decision.

 

[WATFORD zero]

If it does happen, i would like whole teams to walk off (and preferably, their oponents too). It would force UEFA to deal with it rather than keep on sidestepping the issue !

 

[Frank Inkerman]

Rules is rules - a player is not allowed to leave the field of play without the permission of the referee. What do you want Platini to do - say that this Law of the Game doesn't apply in Euro '12? He doesn't have the power to do that and there would be uproar about his arrogance etc etc if he tried to do it.
That said I'm very concerned that this competition is going to become a shambles on this whole issue.

 

[Jim D]

In fairness to Platini he did say that refs should stop the game and take everyone off if there is racial abuse.

I can also see this scenario....

Balotelli picks up a booking during the course of a game. A supporter of the other team then sees it as his 'patriotic duty' to racially abuse him and have him walk off (and therefore pick up a second yellow). Bearing in mind that Italy have Spain and Croatia in their group I could see this happening even before the first yellow.

 

[Nathan]

Ukraine v England - Ashley Young subjected to a crescendo of monkey noises, decides to walk off. You can imagine John Terry being visibly ANGRY at Young for "letting his team down".

Not sure if it counts when your own team mates are making the monkey noises.

 

[leigull]

Rules is rules - a player is not allowed to leave the field of play without the permission of the referee. What do you want Platini to do - say that this Law of the Game doesn't apply in Euro '12? He doesn't have the power to do that and there would be uproar about his arrogance etc etc if he tried to do it.
That said I'm very concerned that this competition is going to become a shambles on this whole issue.

So there is a bomb explosion in a corner of a stadium (a little over dramatic I accept), or a gunman comes running onto the pitch from the stands, do the players still have to wait for the referee to allow them off the pitch before they leg it? No of course not, there have to be exceptions to the rules I'm afraid and racism should be one of them.

 

[hastings]

And i can see a whole team walking of that is what Italy have said they will do

They should do it twice and have the whole team sent off. UEFA is a joke.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Michel Platini - style but no substance - Martin Samuel | Mail Online

Good read.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Michel Platini - style but no substance - Martin Samuel | Mail Online

Good read.

Ouch

 

[glasfryn]

They should do it twice and have the whole team sent off. UEFA is a joke.

I said this months ago any team especially England would get my support if they walked. uefa,fifa are a joke and the sooner the money orientated organisations go the better,
the words piss-up and brewery come to mind

 

[Frank Inkerman]

They should do it twice and have the whole team sent off. UEFA is a joke.

I still don't know what everybody actually expects EUFA to do!! - it appears that the suggestion is to let players walk off the pitch as and when they want to, I'm not sure that this will solve the racist issue and it will only encourage idiots to increase the abuse to influence the result. What next - betting on how many players walk off in a given game? Surely the pressure should be on the authourities to sort out the abusers and not on trying to find ways to circumvent the Laws of the Game in order to let them get away with it?