Fifa fined Bulgaria and Hungary around US$40,000 each on Tuesday and ordered them to play a World Cup qualifier in an empty stadium after fans aimed racist and anti-Semitic abuse at opposing teams.
The punishments were announced as players and anti-discrimination groups demand a tougher response to fan actions at stadiums, including in Italy and Serbia.
“Fifa strongly condemns all forms of racism in football, and any form of discrimination will not be tolerated and will receive a strong response by the relevant Fifa authorities,” world football’s governing body said in a statement.
Fifa fined Bulgaria US$38,000 and Hungary US$43,400.
Bulgaria fans made monkey chants at Denmark defender Patrick Mtiliga, who is black, during a World Cup qualifier in Sofia on October 12. Bulgaria, which is in the same group as Italy, will play in an empty stadium on March 22 when it hosts Malta.
Hungary fans directed anti-Semitic slogans and reportedly displayed Iran flags to insult Israel at an Aug. 15 exhibition in Budapest. Hungary’s punishment applies when neighbouring Romania visits on March 22.
Fifa was helped by the European fans’ network Fare, which sends anti-discrimination monitors to high-risk matches.