Kalidou Koulibaly believes France is a ‘more progressive’ society than Italy after admitting his surprise at seeing Neapolitans insulted for their backgrounds.
Koulibaly was racially abused by Inter fans during Napoli’s 1-0 defeat to Inter last month, and the Senegalese defender – who was born in France – has spoken out for the first time since his ordeal.
“I think there have been lots of positives,” he said in a video on his club’s official website.
Kalidou Koulibaly believes France is a ‘more progressive’ society than Italy after admitting his surprise at seeing Neapolitans insulted for their backgrounds.
Koulibaly was racially abused by Inter fans during Napoli’s 1-0 defeat to Inter last month, and the Senegalese defender – who was born in France – has spoken out for the first time since his ordeal.
“I think there have been lots of positives,” he said in a video on his club’s official website.
“One has definitely been my family, who have really supported me. That’s been great. It might seem like something to be expected, but it’s been massive for me.
“My family is the most important thing to me in the world and it’s great to know they’re behind me.
“I also had lots of messages from friends and people I don’t know personally. I’ve had messages on social media and to my phone, so I’ve had lots of support over the last three weeks.
“That’s been a real positive for me. Some negative things have happened, but at the end of the day I’ll never forget all the support. It made me very happy.
“I think I’ve become more mature over the past three weeks too. I don’t think I could’ve responded in this way before.
“Happy to be an icon in the fight against discrimination? Yes and no. No because it’s said we still need to fight discrimination in this day and age.
“I believe we’re all equal, it’s a value I’ve had since I was little. I try to convey that to my family and everyone I know.
“In a way it’s a shame to be an icon in this issue, but it’s also a good thing. It’s something I believe in and I can now show that to everyone.
“I believe it’s a very important fight. It’s not just about today. We did something last year at a school in Milan, which was great.
“I think that’s the right approach. We need to teach these values from an early age, at school and throughout life.
“I don’t need to say it to my own son. He goes to an Italian school and speaks Italian at school and at home.
“He also speaks French and can understand Senegalese too. I don’t think he needs telling so much, but it’s always hard to explain what racism is to a child.
“He’s still too young to understand but when I take him to school, the other kids show him support, which makes me really happy, plus it’s funny too.
“They don’t understand. For them it’s normal that people of all colours are equal. When I look at school kids, I think we should all be more like them.
“We need to realise that we’re all different but equal at the same time. There’s been great progress made in the world, but the fact we’re still fighting means we’ve gone backwards and that’s a shame.
“Differences with France? I think so because I was born in France and I never had problems like these, neither on a football pitch nor in day-to-day life.
“I grew up a lot of foreign people: Turks, North Africans, Senegalese, French… It was a big mix, but there were never any problems so from this perspective I think France is a different country.
“In the [French] national team we have lots of players from different ethnicities – it’s never been an issue in France.
“France is a different kind of country. There have been lots of different influences and you see that in the population.
“I think France is more progressive in that respect. I didn’t feel it so much when I first arrived in Italy, perhaps because I was more focused on football.
“However, when my Italian started to improve I started to realise what people were saying.
“The first time I encountered it was when I heard chants against Neapolitans. I didn’t understand them much when I came to Italy, but it really saddened me because Naples is a wonderful city.
“When you see players who play for Napoli and the national team, it’s a shame that this can happen.
“At the end of the day, the fight is necessary because people need to realise that a player who plays for Napoli might also play for their national team so although they can support another team, they must also support those players.
“Think of Insigne. When he plays for Italy, everyone supports him and that’s really important.
“I think the small group of people, who we’ve spoken so much about, need to think twice before chanting or acting discriminatorily.
“Football is a very popular sport around the world so I think it can really help. It’s up to all the players, not just me, to take a step forward and fight discrimination.
“I believe we can do it. We’ve already carried out a lot of initiatives and in the future we can do even more to fight racism and all forms of discrimination.”