Lilian Thuram meets players to talk about racism

This Monday brought a meeting at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper between former player and activist Lilian Thuram, accompanied by Dr. Marta Segú, General Director of the FC Barcelona Foundation, and the players and coaches of the men’s football team to address the issue of racism, particularly in the world of football.

Thuram, a former FC Barcelona and French national team player, and president of the Foundation for Education Against Racism, regularly collaborates with the FC Barcelona Foundation, and is one of the most authoritative and respected voices globally in denouncing discrimination based on skin colour. This is the first time an elite football club has invited Thuram to give a talk about racism.

During the meeting, Thuram provided insight into this issue that, unfortunately, is occurring with increasing frequency in stadiums. This was followed by an exchange of opinions and questions between Thuram and the players and coaches. Everyone showed great interest in the talk, participating actively and demonstrating their commitment to raising awareness.

The purpose of this session was to help players manage this situation both on and off the pitch—whether they are the targets of racist insults or not—so that they can act together, united as a team and as a family, ensuring that victims do not face this situation alone. If one player suffers a racist insult, everyone must feel affected and act accordingly. Only by changing the strategy in the fight against racism in football, with proactive involvement from players of all backgrounds, can effective action be taken to eliminate these aggressive behaviours that undermine people's dignity.