FIFA fine Brazil, Argentina, Mexico for homophobic chants

Rio de Janeiro, April 28: World football governing body FIFA has fined the football associations of Brazil, Argentina and Mexico for homophobic chants by fans.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) suffered the heaviest fine — $35,000 dollars — due to their status as a repeat offender, reports Xinhua news agency. 

CBF was also penalized for homophobic chants from fans in World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Bolivia in the past 18 months.

The Argentinian Football Association was fined $20,117 while the Mexican Football Federation was hit with a $10,061 penalty.

FIFA said the fines were "for incidents involving discriminatory and unsporting conduct by fans, including homophobic chants", during recent World Cup qualifiers.

Albania's football association was fined $100,624 for fan behaviour during the World Cup qualifying defeat to Italy last month.

FIFA said breaches of the code of conduct included "the use of pyrotechnics which led to the suspension of the match for several minutes".

The Italian football federation was penalized $15,092 for incidents during the match in Palermo.

Other associations to be fined for the use of fireworks by fans were Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland and Montenegro, FIFA said.