FIFA Investigating German Team’s Fans for Wearing Blackface During World Cup Game With Ghana 

FIFA has started a probe into the matter of two men wearing blackface during Saturday’s World Cup Group G game between Germany and Ghana at the stadium in Fortaleza, Brazil, the Daily Mail reports.

According to the report, images spread across social media showing the two men, who were wearing identical outfits, with curly Afros and their faces blackened.

“We always take any evidence or submissions to our disciplinary committee. It is the disciplinary committee that will meet,” a spokeswoman told The Guardian, the Mail notes. “If they see any grounds, they will open proceedings. Then it is up to the disciplinary commission to take the decision.”

It is usually left up to national football federations to ensure that their fans behave appropriately inside stadium grounds.

As the Daily Mail notes, this is not the first time FIFA has been called to look into fans’ behavior. An organization that deals with discrimination in football, Fare, contacted the governing body, asking it to look into the use of inappropriate language during games between Brazil and Mexico and between Cameroon and Mexico for the apparent use of the word puto, which means “whore.”

FIFA said that it has already looked into the matter and is moving forward with disciplinary procedures against Mexico.

“'We can confirm that we have been contacted by Fare. Prior to this, disciplinary proceedings were opened against Mexico for improper conduct of spectators during the match Mexico-Cameroon,” FIFA said in a statement.  

Read more at the Daily Mail.