On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport made two key decisions regarding Mexico's football federation: it confirmed FIFA-imposed penalties stemming from fan behavior, while reversing an order to close part of a stadium.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that Mexico's football federation must pay two separate fines totaling 140,000 Swiss francs, which is equivalent to $176,287.
Related ↗Red Bull's F1 engine performance leaves ADUO stunned.In the summer of 2024, a disturbing chant was documented by FIFA's anti-discrimination monitoring system during Mexico's friendly matches against Bolivia, Uruguay and Brazil. Two of these encounters were halted temporarily due to the incident.
The FIFA disciplinary committee has imposed a hefty fine of 60,000 Swiss francs on the Mexican Football Federation (FMF). Additionally, they've mandated that 15% of the stadium be closed off during their upcoming international match.
Read next ↗Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering triumphs in the women's Giro d'Italia, completing a rare feat.The CAS also considered a separate matter related to a 2024 friendly match against the US, imposing another fine of 80,000 Swiss francs.
Mexico's football federation lodged an appeal with CAS, citing substantial investments made since 2015 to eradicate the offending chant, which it claimed sanctions failed to deter.
In a recent hearing in Miami, a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel thoroughly examined case evidence, which included match footage, and determined the misconduct was a recurring issue.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport acknowledges the distinct circumstances surrounding the Mexican Football Federation's case, where substantial financial investments were made to address the problematic behavior.
The CAS investigation revealed ongoing issues with prohibited behavior, yet existing safeguards fail to provide adequate protection against financial repercussions for the FMF.
A review of the case found the FIFA-imposed penalties to be a suitable response to the misconduct.
The CAS ruling also cancelled a 15% stadium closure penalty against Mexico.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport panel ruled that FIFA's disciplinary commission had unfairly treated similar cases differently in its proceedings.
Mexico's appeal regarding a match in October 2024 against the United States has been rejected.
FIFA's disciplinary actions against Mexico have been consistent in response to a specific type of fan behavior during matches.
In recent weeks, the Mexican Football Federation embarked on an initiative to dissuade fans from participating in the chant following FIFA's directive to partially close the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla for a Ghana warm-up match.
The 2018 World Cup is set to feature Mexico as one of its co-hosts, partnering with the US and Canada for the event.
The exchange rate is set at 0.7865 Swiss francs per US dollar.
