This Thursday, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) issued a press release announcing a special weekend in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 for the resumption after the international break. A number of measures will be put in place to further the fight against racism.
La communiqué de la LFP :
“All those involved in soccer are committed: players and referees will wear the campaign badge. The message will also be forcefully displayed in stadiums:
Speakers from the host clubs will take the floor to raise public awareness”.
The ceremonial arches at competitions will be replaced by the campaign logo.
A giant tarpaulin will cover the center circle before kick-off of every McDonald’s Ligue 1 match.
LED panels and giant screens in the stadiums will broadcast the message throughout the weekend’s 18 matches.”
PSG’s message:
“On the occasion of International Day Against Racism, all @Ligue1 clubs unite around the same message: R̶a̶c̶i̶s̶m̶e̶ Football.”
It’s a great initiative, to try and change mentalities. Even soccer can’t change everything on its own, so it’s important to use its popularity to convey the right values.
Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done, whether it’s on racism or other social issues, but it’s better to make the effort little by little than to get discouraged.