Hand over mouth?
Infantino: “Then of course he has to be sent off”
03/02/2026 – 02:08 amReading time: 2 minutes
Hidden insults on the pitch? FIFA President Gianni Infantino has a clear opinion on this. He calls for a change in the rules.
Red for hidden spells to the opponent? Fifa President Gianni Infantino calls for measures with a deterrent effect in the fight against racism. The focus is on players who cover their mouths when addressing their opponents so that what they are saying cannot be seen. “If a player covers his mouth and says something and it has racist consequences, then of course he has to be sent off,” said Infantino in an interview with Sky after the meeting of the international rules enforcers of the International Football Association Board (Ifab) in Wales.
“That’s something I don’t understand anyway: Why does a player have to cover his mouth when he says something to another player?” said Infantino. In such a case you have to assume that the player said something on the football field that he shouldn’t have said. For Infantino the matter is clear: “If you have nothing to hide, you don’t cover your mouth when you speak. It’s that simple.”
Ifab was involved in the issue after an alleged racism incident occurred in the Champions League game between Real Madrid and Benfica Lisbon. Lisbon professional Gianluca Prestianni is said to have called Brazilian Vinícius Júnior a “monkey”. The Benfica professional denies this, saying he pulled his jersey over his mouth in the scene.
The committee, which had already decided on some far-reaching rule reforms last weekend, is working in the background on measures for cases of this kind. Infantino announced that new regulations could apply to the World Cup in the summer.
