( CNN ) -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter told CNN Wednesday that on-field racism was not a problem in football , remarks which caused a stir on the social-networking site Twitter . Blatter told CNN World Sport anchor Pedro Pinto that players who have been abused should shake hands with their opponent upon the final whistle and move on . Later he used his official @ SeppBlatter account to reaffirm the commitment global football 's governing body has to stamping out racism and discrimination within soccer . `` Racism and discrimination of any kind have no place in football . I have said this many times before , and I will say it again and again , '' tweeted the 75-year-old . `` However -- and it is not an excuse -- sometimes , in the heat of the moment , things are said and done on the field of play which are wrong . '' FIFA chief Blatter : 'No on-field racism ' But Blatter also stated that he does not believe player-to-player racial abuse is prevalent in football , saying the game is often a unifying force . `` This does not mean that , in general , there is racism on the field of play . Football unites people more than it divides them . '' Chelsea and England captain John Terry is currently the subject of an investigation by London 's Metropolitan Police into alleged racial abuse of Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand . CNN Blog : How should football tackle racism ? Manchester United and England star Rio Ferdinand is the brother of Anton and he took to Twitter to express his disbelief at Blatter 's comments . `` Tell me I have just read Sepp Blatter 's comments on racism in football wrong ... .if not then I am astonished , '' said Ferdinand . `` I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism ... ..it seems it was just on mute for a while . '' Ferdinand then addressed a question directly to Blatter , saying : `` @ SeppBlatter your comments on racism are so condescending its almost laughable . If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok ? '' Piers Morgan , host of CNN 's Piers Morgan Tonight , condemned Blatter 's remarks as `` utterly outrageous '' . He wrote : `` Sepp Blatter just gave every racist in football a license to abuse . Even by his standards this is utterly outrageous . '' Suarez charged by FA over Evra comments . The 'Kick It Out ' group , who campaign to banish racism from football in England and Europe said in a statement : `` These comments are worryingly out of touch . `` Shaking hands to compensate for a racial slur is not what the game has signed up to , and trivializes the work of campaigns like Kick It Out , which has been in the vanguard of rooting out discrimination and unacceptable behavior in our game for the best part of two decades . '' Former England and Liverpool striker Stan Collymore called on Blatter to end his 13-year reign at the top of global football . `` Mr Blatter , your comments about racism are ill-thought and condescending in the extreme . You should resign , '' Collymore tweeted . Jermaine Jenas is an England international currently on-loan at Aston Villa from Tottenham Hotspur . The midfielder called Blatter 's comments `` ridiculous '' . `` How can the head of the footballing world be so ignorant towards racism ! Sepp Blatter 's quotes are ridiculous . # educateyourself . '' Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl was baffled by Blatter 's remarks , echoing the calls for the FIFA chief to step down . `` Sepp Blatter tells @ Pedrocnn any racist abuse between players should be settled with a handshake , '' said Wahl . `` Mind-boggling . Go away Sepp . '' Raphael Honigstein is a journalist and European football expert who also joined the growing call for Blatter to quit . `` Blatter has really lost it . Go now , Sepp . '' he said .
Footballers and journalists have reacted to Sepp Blatter 's comments on racism . FIFA president told CNN players who are abused should shake hands and move on . The German Football Federation (DFB) said it was "shocked" by the remarks made at a press conference in Zurich where he also defended his decision not to ban Russia from next year's World Cup CNN 's Piers Morgan called Blatter 's comments `` utterly outrageous ''