Pilot against racial slurs extended to ADO and Utrecht stadiums
NOS Soccer–
Soccer federation KNVB and the central government have expanded the pilot to use smart technology to counter racist and discriminatory speaking cries. The technology will also be deployed at ADO Den Haag and FC Utrecht until the end of this year.
Last summer, the pilot started in the stadiums of Feyenoord, PEC Zwolle and PSV. The aim of the project at ADO and Utrecht is to provide audio-visual material with which instigators can be recognized more quickly.
Tackling racism and discrimination
The pilot is part of “Our Football Is Everybody’s,” the plan of the government, KNVB, premier league and first division to tackle racism and discrimination in soccer.
The project was set up after the racist treatment of then Excelsior player Ahmad Mendes Moreira by supporters of FC Den Bosch in late 2019. At the time, it proved impossible to punish all perpetrators in Den Bosch due to lack of evidence, as it was difficult to determine who had shouted punishable things.
The technology, designed by TNO, is being further developed in quality and usability to be more easily applied in other stadiums.
