Indicator history

In the last few years, there have been some racist incidents, all of them involving racist insults directed to professional football players, that were reported by the sports press. Despite the media coverage, between 2003 and 2010 very few cases of racist incidents lead to inquiries or sanctions by the Conselho Disciplinar da Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional [Disciplinary Council of the Football Professional League], which have the power to take action against this behavior. Unfortunately, the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) [Portuguese League of Professional Football] does not make information on the complaints accessible.

One of the few sanctions known to have been applied by the Disciplinary Council of the LPFP to one club because of a racist incident, occurred in December 2005, when the well known player of Sport, Lisboa & Benfica Pedro Mantorras, who was insulted by Club Sport Marítimo fans when he was entering in the football pitch. By the time, the LPFP sanctioned Marítimo with a 600 euros fine. Furthermore, some years before, the same club, Marítimo, had already been fined by UEFA, with the equivalent of 6500 Euros, when similar racist insults where directed to Leed United players during a game to for the UEFA Cup in September 2001.