Arabic version: «كيك إت آوت» تطالب بعقوبات أشد بعد تسجيل عدد قياسي من بلاغات التمييز

According to BBC News, anti-discrimination body Kick It Out recorded a record 1,255 incidents of discrimination across all levels of English football in the 2025-26 season. The figure rose from 960 in the previous campaign, while the organisation received 1,744 reports of discrimination, a 25% increase on 2024-25.

Kick It Out chief executive Samuel Okafor said racism was “deeply ingrained” in football but reflected wider society. He called for stronger punishment, saying tougher sanctions were needed and that he hoped people would face consequences for their actions in the next few weeks.

Racism was the most reported form of discrimination, with 792 cases, up 19%. Reports of homophobia rose 46% to 203, while sexism increased 12% and ableism rose 20%. Antisemitism climbed 43% to 93 reports, and Islamophobia increased 88% to 60 incidents.

Umar Ali of Bradford semi-professional side Route One Rovers said he was racially abused by opposition spectators while preparing to enter a match during Ramadan last year. He said an assistant referee heard the comments and told the referee, but he claimed no action was taken at the time. Police were contacted and spectators were identified, though Ali said he had not been informed of an outcome.

Route One Rovers manager Mohammed Patel said the Northern Counties East Football League fined the opposition club £300 and imposed nine disciplinary points. He argued that harsher sanctions and top-down action were needed. The Football Association said it had introduced tougher sanctions for clubs and individuals, a behaviour improvement programme and penalty-point accumulation charges in grassroots football, building on measures allowing league-point deductions for repeated serious misconduct.