England News

• Nickname:Three Lions
• Founded: 1872
• Manager:Roy Hodgson

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Rio demands abuse action

08 Oct 2008 - 15:12:44

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Rio Ferdinand believes FIFA should get serious and start deducting points from teams whose fans are found guilty of racially abusing opposition players.

The Manchester United defender was outraged when the game's global governing body fined the Croatian authorities just £15,000 for the racist abuse aimed at Emile Heskey during England's 4-1 World Cup qualifying win in Zagreb last month.

Ferdinand has also spoken out following the abuse aimed at former England team-mate Sol Campbell during Portsmouth's Premier League game against Tottenham last month.

"The football authorities need to look at themselves," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"(President) Sepp Blatter likes to speak up about things that are good for FIFA's image. I would love to see them stand up and dish out the right punishments for these incidents.

"They make a lot of comments about what they are going to do but they never back up the words with actions.

"Croatia were fined a few thousand quid. What good is that going to do? That is not going to stop people shouting racist or homophobic abuse.

"If things like this keep happening you have to take points off them then the punters will realise the team is going to be punished."

Meanwhile, Ferdinand has called on his England team-mates to maintain the standards set against Croatia when they face Kazakhstan at Wembley on Saturday.

The vice-captain said: "We need to apply ourselves in the same way that we did against Croatia. If we don't do that then we will fall flat on our faces.

"We know if we don't produce the goods and go into the game in the right frame of mind then we could be victim of a banana skin.

"Not qualifying for another major tournament would be a disaster."