Belgian Amateur Soccer Grapples with Racism and Violence, Football Union Takes Action

Cases of racism and violence persist in Belgian amateur football. In February, the Dinant correctional court sentenced a young football player from Provincial 1 to 60 hours of community service. In November 2019, the Biesme team player gave a headbutt to the captain of the Chevetogne team, causing him a broken nose and a concussion. At the hearing, the Biesme player said he had "lost his cool" after being the victim of racist insults from the supporters. The player risks six months in prison if the community service is not carried out.

A match between FC Dampoort and Oostakker, two lower division clubs (Provincial 4), degenerated in February, leading to a police intervention to end the general brawl between the players of the two Ghent teams. The cause was a penalty whistled for Oostakker a few minutes from the end of the match, which provoked the anger of the opposing team’s players. The red cards given by the referee did not manage to calm them down. According to some testimonies, the brawl broke out after a player insulted another from the opposing team who reacted by slapping him, reports Dernière Heure.

Aware of the phenomenon, the Belgian Football Union launched a "Come Together" awareness campaign in early March to fight against discrimination and racism which, according to Samia Ahrouch, the Union’s inclusion manager, are "often the starting point for acts of violence on and off the pitch." "What happens in the world of football is only a reflection of what exists in society. After Covid, reports of verbal violence and racism have exploded. We commissioned a study from KULeuven and the result was quite alarming: one in three young players is a victim of discrimination, mainly "body shaming," she explains.

An action plan has been put in place and has led to the advent of the National Chamber for the Fight against Discrimination and Racism, a kind of internal tribunal created in 2021. The Chamber is composed of a lawyer who acts as a judge, assisted by two experts. "The Chamber can decide on sanctions such as suspensions, fines for clubs or impose matches behind closed doors. But we refuse the logic of "punish to punish," because the goal is, ultimately, to move towards a change in the behaviors that lead to verbal and physical violence," details Samia Ahrouch.