No place for discrimination in Austrian football – report discrimination!

You report it – we investigate, clarify the matter and help prevent future incidents in football.

We are working towards a football family in which nobody is disadvantaged on the basis of gender, origin, sexual orientation or religion. Reporting discrimination is a means by which we can highlight problems. It is therefore important to recognise discriminatory incidents as such and take preventative action. Together with the ÖFB and the Bundesliga, the fairplay initiative has therefore developed a reporting system in which incidents can be reported anonymously and then prosecuted by fairplay.

Are you a witness and would like to report a racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-Semitic or right-wing extremist incident in football? Examples of discrimination include racist graffiti, homophobic abuse or an anti-Semitic insult in the stadium, on the pitch or in the club environment.

Then get in touch with us and fill out our online registration form Report discrimination!
 

>>> To the online form <<<
>>> To the WhatsApp form <<<

You can use the reporting form to report cases of discrimination to the fairplay initiative. Your report will be anonymised- unless you expressly state otherwise - and personal data will not be passed on to third parties without your consent.

More information on the procedure can be found below and in these downloads:

• Download procedure to report discrimination in soccer as PDF
• Download reporting form as Word document
• Download Poster "Report discrimination"

Procedure of the Austrian Football

Together with the ÖFB and the Austrian Football League, fairplay has developed a procedure (three-step plan) on how to proceed in the future when discriminatory incidents become known.

1. Occasion: After receiving the report, we consult with the person reporting the incident.
2. Obtaining information: Afterwards, fairplay contacts the involved clubs, if possible, the involved persons/groups as well as the ÖFB or the ÖFBL (depending on the competence) in order to obtain further information and to get a comprehensive picture of the situation and to give the parties involved the opportunity to comment.
3. Become active: An incident is taken as an opportunity by fairplay and preventive measures are taken with the clubs and the associations.

As an expert, the fairplay initiative takes on an advisory role, supports the measures and documents all reported incidents.

As a supporting and advisory initiative, fairplay has no legal authority to take action against affected clubs/organizations for discrimination or to impose sanctions on them. This competence lies exclusively with the ÖFB or the ÖFBL or the regional soccer associations in accordance with the provisions of the ÖFB Code of Law and Order. 

Discriminatory signs and symbols

Not only chants or verbal assaults are considered discriminatory acts, but also banners, flags, stickers and other material can have racist, neo-Nazi, homophobic, sexist or other discriminatory content. To better identify these signs and symbols, the FARE Network has created a guide that explains their meaning.

Download: FARE Guide to Discriminatory Practices

How are reports handled?

• After a report has been received by fairplay, a member of staff will contact the reporter.
• The name and function of the reporter will be treated confidentially - as far as known - and will not be passed on to third parties, neither verbally nor in writing, unless the reporter has given his/her explicit consent.
• Further personal data such as the address etc. of the applicant will be processed solely by fairplay in accordance with the provisions of data protection law.

Notice

Not everything that is hurtful is also discriminatory. For example, not including a player in the squad is not the same as discrimination.
We recommend taking a look at the ÖFB campaign Wir lieben Fair Play.