Two players from Leiknir and KR, two Icelandic football clubs located in Reykjavík, have been sentenced to a 6-match and a 3-match game prohibition for violence and racial abuse.

Last month, in a men’s 3rd division match between the two teams a player for the KR football club in Reykjavík’s Vesturbær verbally abused an ethnic player in the Leiknir football club, which led to a violent response from the latter.

The KSÍ disciplinary committee has been criticized for the lenient sentencing of the KR player found guilty of racial bashing during the match, in particular by Þórður Einarsson, the managing director of Leiknir football club.

The KR player racially abused the young Leiknir player according to Rúv.is.

The Leiknir player responded with his fist and repeatedly hit the perpetrator in the face and head, and kicked him in a horizontal position after the referee failed to stop him.

Leiknir football club accepts the punishment given to the Leiknir player for his response to the remarks, but feels the KSÍ disciplinary committee is not taking the nature of the verbal abuse seriously enough.

Yesterday, Þórir Hákonarson the director of KSÍ spoke on behalf of the Icelandic Football Association and its disciplinary committee to the afternoon radio show on RÚV.

“It is not a KSÍ policy to tighten the designated punishment in cases such as this one. The organization will rather increase awareness of the problem when these cases occur.

This is not the first case where racial abuse is brought to the attention of KSÍ but it is the first time the disciplinary committee sentences players in such a case, Rúv.is reports

JB