FIFA diversity boss Federico Addiechi has revealed that the organization has asked broadcasters to stop focusing on "hot women" in the stands during games of the 2018 World Cup, according to the BBC.
"This is one of the activities that we definitely will have in the future – it’s a normal evolution. We've done it with individual broadcasters. We've done it with our host broadcast services," the official told the press, as cited by the British broadcaster, when he was asked if it would become an official policy.
Although it is not a "proactive campaign," according to Addiechi, FIFA would "take action against things that are wrong."
The FIFA official also said that the association, along with the local organizing committee and police, responded to reported cases of inappropriate advances by fans during the days of the tournament. Some of them have been forced to leave the country.
According to FARE network (Football Against Racism in Europe), which is fighting xenophobia in sports, most registered cases of discrimination concerned sexism, although ahead of the FIFA 2018 World Cup the media speculated that homophobia and racism would be the main concerns.
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The organization’s director Piara Powar told the BBC that more than 30 cases have been documented, pointing out that the number in fact can be 10 times bigger. Mainly Russian women were "accosted in the streets" by male fans, while several female reporters were grabbed or kissed while on duty.
The prospect to party with regular and dear to many fans broadcasting trope has triggered a storm on Twitter.
Others suspected a feminist conspiracy.
There were those who stand with FIFA on the matter.