Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong says racism cannot be uprooted because those who make the decisions at the top are whites.
Frimpong, who retired from the game at just 27, says the crude attack may not be eradicated since those entrusted to act are all of the same colour.
The former Ghana international suffered racist abuse during his time at Russian side Ufa.
“The point that all those at the top – Fifa, Uefa, whoever makes the decisions – are white men,” he told the Guardian.
“I don’t blame them personally but how can somebody feel your pain if they’ve never been in that situation? Most of these people have never been racially abused; they don’t know what it feels like so any punishment they give comes from their world, not understanding the black person’s point of view.
“If things are to change then the committees need to be full of people with different backgrounds. How are they going to pass judgment on these people if they haven’t been on the other end? How would you feel if you came to Africa, full of black people, and were abused? You’d think: ‘My God, I need to get out of here’.