Lilian Thuram Discusses Racism in Football, Calls for More White Player Advocacy

Visiting Hong Kong this month with his former club Juventus, Lilian Thuram tackled the subject of racism in football. A World Cup winner for France, Thuram has his own eponymous foundation to educate people about racism, and has authored books on the topic.

“When I was a child it was a problem, now my children [professional footballers Marcus and Khephren] have the same problem,” Thuram told the South China Morning Post. “Probably, nobody has managed to find a way to solve it.”

During the recent World Cup, Kylian Mbappe, the superstar French striker, powerfully responded after he was the subject of an online racist attack by Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla. Calling Amarilla “a despicable woman”, Mbappe said: “I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”

Thuram said: “It’s important that people speak out, but [Mbappe’s] a black player – we need more white players to talk.”