OPINION: Panamas shameful soccer fans

SPORT often overcomes many of the differences that separate humanity. However, in the passion aroused by disciplines such as football, fans sometimes engage in discriminatory, denigrating and even unethical behavior for which fines have been imposed and doors closed to several of the federations that competed for places for the 2018 World Cup. The Panamanian fans starred in acts that violate FIFA’s disciplinary regulations for five games during the hexagonal events in the Rommel Fernández Stadium like the ones that took place on October 10 when Panama beat Costa Rica and qualified for the 2018 World Cup. Sadly, the fine of about $102,000 that FIFA imposed on Fepafut [Panama’s soccer governing body] is due to homophobic chants, and by spectators who launched onto the field after the goal of Roman Torres two minutes from the end, to run the clock, as a person confessed unambiguously before the media. We must learn that what we as a society demand in the face of corruption, we must put it into practice in the other aspects of our national life. La Prensa, November 12