FIFA has warned and fined World Cup play-offs teams Croatia and Greece for fans’ racist behaviour at qualifying matches last month.
FIFA announced the sanctions yesterday but did not order full or partial stadium closures for the play-off matches starting next week.
FIFA fined the Croatia Football Federation 35,000 Swiss francs ($38,000) for incidents during its 2-1 loss against Belgium in Zagreb on October 11.
“Croatian supporters made far-right salutes which were used during World War II by the fascist Ustase movement,” fan monitoring group Fare reported to FIFA.
FIFA fined the Greek federation 30,000 Swiss francs ($32,500) following reports of far-right banners displayed when Greece beat Slovakia 1-0 in Athens on October 11.
In the play-offs, Croatia host Iceland in the second leg on November 19, and Greece host Romania in the first leg on Friday.
In September, Ukraine were found guilty by FIFA of racist behaviour by fans at a qualifying match, but have escaped a closed-stadium order when it they host France on Friday in Kiev.
FIFA deferred the punishment while it considers Ukraine’s appeal after fans made monkey noises at the team’s Brazil-born player Edmar during a win against San Marino in September in Lviv. FIFA also banned the Lviv stadium from hosting qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup.
In other sanctions yesterday, the Croatia federation was also fined 15,000 Swiss francs ($16,300) for “crowd disturbance among visiting spectators” during a World Cup qualifier in Scotland on October 15.
The Scottish FA, which was responsible for security at the match in Glasgow, was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,850).
Romania’s federation was fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,850) for crowd disturbances at a home qualifier in Bucharest against Estonia last month.
