FIFA approves red card for ‘Lei Vini Jr’ mouth-covering during disputes | OneFootball

FIFA has approved a new in-game sanction that makes covering the mouth during heated exchanges a straight red card, a step designed to deter discriminatory behaviour. According to Coluna Do Fla, the change was passed unanimously on Tuesday.

The update follows this year’s Champions League row between Vini Jr and Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, when the Argentine covered his mouth during an argument. Vini Jr said he was racially abused.

Players may still shield their lips in ordinary conversations, but if a referee deems the exchange to be a dispute it will mean an immediate dismissal.

FIFA also ruled that players who leave the field in protest at a referee’s decision will be sent off, a measure that covers technical staff as well. If an entire team walks off, a WO will be declared.

The change comes after this year’s Africa Cup of Nations final, when Senegal temporarily abandoned the match following a penalty awarded to Morocco, then returned, won, and later saw the champions altered in court. In the Vini Jr case, Prestianni received a six-match ban for homophobia, saying he used the term ‘maricá’, while Vini Jr maintains he was called ‘macaco’.

Source: Coluna Do Fla