Racism: Players could opt out of social media for three months - FAW president O'Connor

Kieran O'Connor succeeded David Griffiths as FAW president in 2018

Wales' top football official has suggested players could take themselves off social media for three months to help combat discrimination.

Football Association of Wales (FAW) president Kieran O'Connor also believes world football's governing body Fifa can have a huge influence on the issue.

O'Connor stands for election as a Fifa vice president this week.

"Racial discrimination is a problem and people like Fifa can actually change that," said O'Connor.

"Fifa is a very powerful organisation, football is a very powerful sport.

"May be we need to say 'every footballer off social media for three months' and see what reaction we get.

"Fifa has the power to do it, football has the power to do it, players have the power to do it."

Swansea City recently instigated a social media boycott after first team players Jamal Lowe, Wales international Ben Cabango and Yan Dhanda had been racially abused in the past two months.

Championship rivals Birmingham City and Scottish champions Rangers followed suit.

Some Premier League managers have also called for a football-wide boycott of social media platforms, with top-flight clubs reportedly considering co-ordinated action.

O'Connor added: "Social media discrimination is not acceptable in any forms of life and if football can do something about it it has to do it.

"Fifa certainly has the power to do it."

The election for a Fifa vice-president role will take place at the Uefa congress in Montreux, Switzerland on Tuesday.

The role became vacant in November 2020 when England's Greg Clarke resigned over his use of "unacceptable" language when referring to black players while giving evidence to Westminster's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee.

Irish Football Association President David Martin and Scottish vice-president Michael Mulraney are competing with O'Connor for the position.

All 55 Uefa nations will vote on this post, which is reserved for a home nations representative.

O'Connor is a former chairman of the Institute of Governance in Wales and hopes that background will help convince other nations of his ability for the job.

"Fifa is getting better and better internally and I think the historical governance issues have probably gone. But it is something you have to stay on top of," said O'Connor.

"You have to keep reviewing it and make sure everything is in place and everything is robust."