Uefa tightens anti-racism rules

Uefa has given referees the power to abandon matches in the event of racist chanting inside a stadium.

European football's governing body has implemented a three-step procedure that comes into force with immediate effect.

The referee should first demand over the public address system that fans' racist behaviour should stop.

The next step is to suspend the match for up to 10 minutes with the teams sent to the dressing room. If that does not work, the game should be abandoned.

Uefa president Michel Platini said there would be no compromise in his organisation's stance against racism in football.

"Our policy on racism is one of zero tolerance," said Platini.

"It was necessary to give the pitch people the means to do something, and we have determined the parameters and lines of conduct, whereby in important cases of racist behaviour in a stadium, a referee must stop the match.

"There are people of authority such as the referee and match delegate who can consult before deciding to temporarily suspend a match for five or 10 minutes, in agreement with officials responsible for security - and from then, if the atmosphere remains negative, the match must be stopped."

Platini first revealed plans to abandon matches in April of this year after Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli was racially abused by Juventus fans.

The Italian authorities ordered Juve to play their next home league game behind closed doors.

England players Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips were subjected to racial abuse when they played against Spain at Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium in 2004.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Uefa's executive committee in Vilnius, Lithuania.