ROME, (AFP) - Inter Milan escaped with a fine of just €25,000 ($31,000) as punishment for the racist behaviour of their fans during last weekend's Serie A match against Messina, despite a new pledge by FIFA to come down hard on offending clubs. The sanction was handed to Inter by the Italian football league's disciplinary council on Tuesday after Messina's African defender Mark Zoro was subjected to monkey chants at the San Siro and offensive banners aimed at the Ivory Coast international were displayed.
It was the second time this season that Zoro had been targeted for racist abuse by Inter's fans.
Maurizio Laudi, the Italian football league judge who made the ruling, said Inter would also have been forced to play a match behind closed doors had it not been for the outrage of other supporters who jeered those abusing Zoro.
Inter were fortunate to get away with just a fine following the announcement by world football's governing body FIFA last month of a crackdown on clubs whose fans racially abuse black players.
Under the new system, FIFA said clubs found guilty of failing to prevent their supporters from abusing players on racial grounds could be docked three points for a first offence, six for a second and even relegated in the case of repeated incidents.
However, while FIFA said in March that the new legislation would come into effect immediately, the Italian football federation (FIGC) has delayed implementing it in Italy until July 1, following discussions with FIFA officials.
The FIGC told AFP that they needed time to enforce the new anti-racism laws and that FIFA were in full agreement, raising doubts over when the ruling would be introduced in other countries.
No-one at FIFA was available for comment when contacted by AFP.
News that Inter have been let off with a smacked wrist will disappoint Zoro, who had urged FIFA to come down hard on the club.
"It's time people stopped abusing players just for the colour of their skin," he said after Saturday's match.
"As soon as I ran out onto the pitch they shouted all sorts of things at me and I think it's a disgrace.
"I'm powerless to do anything about it. I just have to play. I wish the fans could understand what they are doing and I hope FIFA will do something."
Last weekend's match was not the first time Zoro has been targeted by Inter fans.
In November, when Messina played at home to Inter, he was reduced to tears after being subjected to racial abuse by the visiting supporters, and tried - unsuccessfully - to persuade the referee to abandon the match.
After the incident, the FIGC promised to come down hard on the bigots, yet despite widespread condemnation of the abuse and demonstrations of support for Zoro, the ugly sound of monkey noises and booing still follows black players as they travel to grounds up and down the country.
