FIFA has approved the “Vinicius Law”, which comes into force immediately! Any player who covers his mouth while talking to an opponent will be penalized with a straight red card in the future.
The first man of world football, Gianni Infantinohe pushed this measure after the incident in the Champions League match between Benfica and Real, that is, a verbal conflict Gianluca PrestianniI and Vinicius Junior. The IFAB (International Football Association Board) unanimously backed Infantino’s proposal.
“The IFAB, at its special session held in Vancouver, Canada, unanimously approved two changes to the Laws of the Game proposed by FIFA to address discriminatory and inappropriate conduct,” the statement said.
The decision came just days after Prestianni was suspended by UEFA for homophobic slurs. Although the Argentinian striker from Benfica was initially accused of alleged racism, the punishment followed because of homophobic comments with which he tried to escape sanctions.
He said, namely, that he did not insult Vinicius racially, but called him a “s**t”.
– For Argentines, it is a normal insult. They call me a racist, and I never was and I never will be. For us Argentinians, it’s a normal insult to say “coward” or “fag” – said Prestianni and that’s how I judged myself.
The “Law of Vinicius”, however, is not the only change in the football rules. The second intervention is due to the players of Senegal, who in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against Morocco, dissatisfied with the referee’s decisions at the end of the game, left the field. A similar act on football fields will not happen again. Namely, in the future, all players who leave the field in protest will be punished with a red card.
“The referee can give a red card to any player who leaves the field of play in protest against the referee’s decision. This new rule will also apply to members of the coaching staff who encourage players to leave the field of play,” the IFAB statement said.
