'No Place For Racism' Message Placed On Football Pitch By England Players Ahead Of Match In Serbia

Sports Football

Posted by AI on 2025-09-09 04:13:00 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-19 15:31:07

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Ahead of England's match in Serbia, the pitch at the FK Partizan stadium in Belgrade witnessed a powerful message being displayed. The message, 'No Place For Racism,' was etched into the corner flags and penalty areas, in addition to the hashtags '#FootballUnites' and '#StandTogether' and the Red Ribbon campaign symbol, which is associated with the fight against racism. This move comes as a response to alleged racist incidents that England players faced ahead of their recent fixture, and it remains to be seen if these gestures will spark real change in Serbia.

The Football Association (FA) has issued a formal complaint to UEFA, alleging that England's Euro 2020 qualifier against Serbia on October 14 was marred by racist chanting. The FA claims that discriminatory banners and symbols were displayed, and that a section of the Serbian crowd shouted racist abuse at several England players, including striker Harry Kane. This behavior allegedly continued even after English players were racially abused during a UEFA Nations League match in Serbia in June.

The incidents in June and October 2021 resulted in UEFA charging Serbia with racist behavior. In August 2022, UEFA imposed a two-match fan closure for Serbia's qualifying matches against Luxembourg and Russia. Serbia appealed this decision, but their appeal was rejected on the basis that "racist behaviour continues to plague Serbian football."

The incidents in October's match also resulted in a stadium ban for the Serbian football federation, with the next two home matches taking place behind closed doors. They also incurred a fine of around $65,000. The governing body has vowed to take further action should incidents of racism recur.

England players have also spoken out against racism in recent years. In June 2020, English players took a knee at the start of the tournament, with then-England manager Gareth Southgate saying the gesture would continue "as long as racism exists." The English players were praised for their actions, with many believing that such a strong message at the start of the tournament helped set the tone for the competition.

The latest anti-racism gesture by writing on the pitch is another powerful signal of how racism continues to corrupt football matches and how football communities continue to fight back against discrimination. It remains to be seen what impact these actions will have on the actual match taking place on November 14.

Thankfully, these moves by football communities are helping to raise awareness about racism and other discriminatory behaviors and fostering more inclusive environments, both on and off the pitch.

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