Euro chief pledges harsher penalties

we are not doing enough. Unfortunately, those cases push us.

“Watching those incidents, not just as a father, as a normal person, as a human being, it’s disgusting. I’m sure we can do much more.

“The situation in Europe is not getting any better and it’s not about Bulgaria. It’s about England. It’s about Italy. It’s about

France. It’s everywhere. After cases like this emerged, I started to think – we all did – we have to have people who understand this problem. People who have felt it.

“It’s different if you’ve never felt it personally, you know that. I know because we were in the ex-socialist regimes where we were not treated equally.

“Our disciplinary committee and other committees should be more diverse. We have to bring black members in and more women.

“I agree that sanctions will have to be harsher and harsher. And I’m sure we will. We will rethink all the disciplinary regulation and diversity.

“In the future, one of the governing bodies where this happens will have to have severe sanctions, I know.” It means there could be points deductions or the possibility of teams being thrown out of competitions for repeated racist abuse.

Ceferin added: “It is possible for the future. It’s possible. Formally, not me. By we, I mean our disciplinary committee.”

Bulgaria were fined just £75,000 and made to play one game behind closed doors after their fans racially abused England’s players in October. In April, Montenegro were ordered to play one match behind closed doors and fined £17,253 by UEFA for their fans’ racist abuse directed at England’s players.

Ceferin admitted UEFA needs people making decisions on punishments who understand what the players are going through.

He added: “You have to have different perspectives, then you have a more, let’s say, clear view on what is right and what is wrong.”