LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) - Mexico’s soccer federation has given evidence at sport’s highest court to challenge FIFA fines for fans yelling a gay slur at World Cup qualifying matches.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport says a verdict in Mexico’s appeal is expected within weeks.
FIFA imposed fines on the Mexican federation totaling 85,000 Swiss francs ($85,000) after five World Cup qualifiers played since November 2015.
The chant, which is heard across Latin American soccer, targets the opposing goalkeeper while taking a goal kick.
FIFA also fined other federations for similar chants since taking a stronger stance after the 2014 World Cup.
Then in Brazil, FIFA’s disciplinary panel dropped cases saying “in the specific context the chant is not discriminatory.”
In 2015, FIFA published guidelines for member federations to tackle discrimination.
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