Brazilian club Corinthians will have to play their next home game behind closed doors due to homophobic chants in their stands, a source from the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) told AFP on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on May 14, in the 62nd minute of the derby against the Sao Paulo team. As very often during these matches against their Paulist rival, Corinthians supporters sang a song calling their opponents “bichas”, a pejorative term for homosexuals in Brazil. The referee had interrupted the match for four minutes and had drawn up a report, which served as the basis for the sanction pronounced by the STJD. The two teams had drawn 1-1.
A source from Corinthians told AFP that the club will appeal the sanction which, if confirmed, will force the team to play their next Brazilian league home match on July 2 against the Reds without an audience. Bull Bragantino. It is a blow for the club, whose finances are in bad shape, which risks relegation and which were eliminated in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League European.
This is the first sanction of this type since the Brazilian Football Federation tightened measures against racism, xenophobia and homophobia in sport in February. The new regulations provide for, among other things, heavy fines and loss of points in the championship standings. “Even if there is still a lot to do to overcome homophobia (…) it is a historic measure, if we take into account the symbolic side and the importance of a team as popular as Corinthians “, commented to AFP Onã Rudá, who leads the collective of LGBTI supporters Canarinhos. According to this organization, 74 homophobic acts related to football were recorded in Brazil in 2022, an increase of 76% compared to 2021.
