Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, Viv Anderson and Anthony Elanga are among a number of prominent footballers past and present to have signed a pledge committing themselves to publicly push for racial equality in football.
An idea initially proposed by the Lilian Thuram Foundation, which exists to support anti-racist education, the statement was agreed during a conference at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground in which players and Harvard academics discussed how to further anti-discriminatory aims.
The statement committed the signees to “use their platforms and influence to demand an end to racism in their sport”. It directly references the most recent incidents of racist abuse faced by black professionals, those involving Milan’s Mike Maignan and Coventry’s Kasey Palmer.
“Calling for stricter and decisive measures, asking for a commitment to anti-racist fan and player education and demanding more athlete input in decision-making are ways in which players can use their visibility and power to produce meaningful and sustainable outcomes,” the statement reads. “The time to participate in a collective player effort is now, so please become advocates to end racist hate incidents that are so psychologically and emotionally damaging to those who are targeted.”
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Among the other players to have signed the pledge included Robert Pires, Callum Hudson-Odoi, John McGovern, Zé Maria, Jason Lee, Olivier Dacourt, Taiwo Awoniyi and Paul Elliott.
The pledge is a call to arms, with the hope that it will spread across the professional game as a first step to a more organised front against racism. It takes on learnings from the United States, where MLS players allied during the pandemic to form Black Players for Change, a group that makes specific demands of sporting authorities for greater equality.
Speaking at the conference, Thuram argued that experiences of racism mean black players are reluctant to raise their voices for fear of the consequences. Henry said the onus must be put on to football’s governing bodies to make change.
“That’s what I always say. You need to ask the people in charge,” Henry said. “Lilian is doing what he can do. Can he change the law? No, he can’t. I don’t think he can do more than he can. It’s always asking the question to the black player, which is very important and it’s right to talk about it, but it would be nice if everyone could talk about it and create some proper rules. Sometimes you have the sense that the players on the field are alone.”
