BARRIO – FIFA Fines Ecuador Over Fans’ Discriminatory Chants in World Cup Opener. Ecuador won its opening match at the World Cup over Qatar, but it suffered a monetary loss in the wake of the game.
FIFA fined the Ecuadorian soccer federation after fans at Al Bayt Stadium chanted discriminatory comments about Chileans.
The jeers were reportedly aimed at Chile, which tried to take Ecuador’s place in the tournament after appealing over an ineligible player in qualifiers.
FIFA said in a statement that the charge was “due to chants” and cited its disciplinary code section, which covers discrimination. Ecuador’s soccer governing body is held responsible for fan behaviour at games.
Ecuador fans also drew attention for a different chant during the opening match, albeit for a much lighter reason. After FIFA banned beer at World Cup matches, Ecuadorians chanted “Queremos cerveza” — Spanish for “We want beer.”