While Lilian Thuram urges white players to step up against racism, Marco Materazzi says the former France defender never left the stadium when fans insulted his mum.

Thuram, a former French defender and an activist against racism, spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport’s event Festival dello Sport.

“Don’t think like a black man don’t think like a white man, don’t think like a French or a Senegalese. Think like a human being,” he said.

“If we want to be more intelligent, start saying things as they are. There is racism, sexism and homophobia in Italy, it doesn’t mean I don’t love Italy, it means I want to change things.”

There have been several cases of racist abuse in Serie A stadiums since the start of the season. Dusan Vlahovic, Franck Kessié, Tiemeoue Bakayoko and Kalidou Koulibaly have all been targeted by racial insults.

Thuram has created a foundation and is taking public positions on several issues related to racism and equality. He is urging white players to step up against racism and do something concrete when black players are racially abused.

“White players have an important role in this, they should make their voice heard,” Thuram said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport last month.

“A non-white person must go beyond himself to get to the top. Football is politic, economy and capitalism.”

Former Italy defender Marco Materazzi took the stage one day after Thuram but didn’t seem to share the same view as the ex Juve and Parma star.

“I agree with Thuram, I am against racism, but I never saw Thuram leave the pitch when they were signing ‘Materazzi son of a b****’

“It’s a matter of education, for the white, the black and the son of a b****.’

 

10 thought on “Materazzi hits back at Thuram over racism claims”
  1. No idea what capitalism has to do with inequality . Elites in their own world spitting words they have no idea about. Thuram needs to focus on change and not focus on his media coverage

  2. ‘There is racism, sexism and homophobia in Italy..’

    Yes, but racism, sexism, misogyny and homophobia exists everywhere. At least in the recent individual cases at Juventus and Fiorentina, the authorities have been quick to not only condemn but actually punish the culprits.

  3. But Materazzi did not have a problem insulting Zinedine Zidane’s mom? He’d better start educating himself then. What a hypocrite!

  4. Lilian Thuram is nothing more than a race baitor. Always has been.

    He NEEDS racism or he has nothing to do in life.

    Here is words from his ex-teammate Christophe Dugarry who relayed a story of the night France won the 1998 World Cup;

    “We have the cup and we’re taking photos of each other,” recalled Dugarry, who now works as a television pundit.

    “And then I hear Lilian Thuram – and I’m not the only one, Franck Leboeuf (heard it) as well — say: ‘Come on, let’s get a photo with all the blacks.’

    “And Franck Leboeuf gets up and says to him: ‘Lilian, what are you saying now? Imagine if we’d said, ‘Come on, let’s get a photo with all the whites.’ How would you have reacted?’

    “Those are discriminatory words and at no point did we misinterpret them.

  5. And what about reverse racism when blacks call Italuans mafiosos? I know this from personal experience.

    And what about extremist Muslins when they call for killing the “infidels”?

    Yes, reverse racism exists. Blacks and people of color can be equally racist and bigoted. However, the narrative is usyally only presented one way and little discussion about reverse racism and bigotry.

    Clean your own house first.

  6. Racism is bad but to me Thuram saying the white players needs to stand up more is rubbish….The most they can do is ask people to stop which it’s all to the people if they’ll stop or not …As long as they humans Racism will always exist not validating it but just saying it as it is

  7. Materazzi’s comment is a snapshot of everything that’s wrong with Italy. He thinks he sounds intelligent or funny but that white washing of racism and creating those stupid false equivalencies (like heckling ???? Is this guy for real??????) totally substantiates Thuram’s position. Period.

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