The punishment given to the Spanish goalkeeper will serve as a preventative for comparable scenarios, as demonstrated by a member of the governing body.
The eight-match suspension handed to Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla for using racist language indicates that type of behaviour won’t be tolerated, Football Association official Paul Elliott says.
Casilla was handed the ban and a #60,000 for the offence last week after being found guilty of using a racial slur against West Bromwich attacker Jonathan Leko in September 2019.
Elliott considers the governing body’s punishment is a powerful deterrence for any more offensive behavior and that zero tolerance will be permitted on the problem.
“I am not [privy] into the particulars of the situation but if you examine the sanction, any sanction sends a powerful message,” Eliott said to Sky Sports.
“Here in the FA what’s important is that we now have a concept of zero tolerance across all.
“Zero tolerance is the important and consistent application of this is important. But rehabilitation and education are also significant because people may say the wrong things, everybody can be guilty of saying wrong things.
“The message is clear across the match but what we’re also saying is that there’s a chance to reintegrate and rehabilitate yourself back to soccer.
“The sanction sends a powerful message but also the training, rehabilitation and education to make a pathway back into football.”
But, 20-year-old Leko disclosed he may not report a case of racism next time, together with the process to find Casilla guilty taking nearly six months.
“I’ve been frustrated with the amount of time it has taken to reach this stage. Knowing what happened in the game that day, it’s been hard to observe Kiko Casilla continue to play for such a protracted period as if nothing had occurred.
“I would recommend the game’s governing bodies to research their own procedures when such incidents are reported. It was 22 weeks between the incident and the hearing through which I had minimal contact in the PFA, where I am a member, and no touch in the means of support from top anti-racism bodies like’Kick It Out’ and’Show Racism The Red Card’. Some support or advice would have been quite welcome.”
Leeds now find themselves in second in the Championship, behind West Brom but five points clear of Fulham since they remain on track to seal automatic promotion into the Premier League.
Only 10 games remain before the end of the year in England’s next grade, with the side coached by Marcelo Bielsa back in action on Saturday at home against Huddersfield.
