17 April 2024
Nothing changes without concrete action.
We talked about it on 21 March, through the Never Again campaign against racial discrimination.
We talked about it again on Tuesday, 16 April 2024, in meeting organised as part of the fourteenth stage of the Junior Tim Cup 2024 project, held at the Allianz Training Center in Vinovo.
Now in its eleventh edition, the Junior Tim Cup is a 7-a-side football competition organised by the CSI - the Italian Sports Centre - and Lega Serie A, and reserved for the Under-14 categories of the national oratories. It’s a competition that is played on the pitch, but above all 'in the classroom', with educational activities and reflection meetings for the young players. Tuesday's meeting was precisely part of a path aimed at actively raising the awareness of the younger generations on racism and all forms of discrimination.
Several ideas were presented and topics touched upon, including the importance of the language used, the difference between hearing and listening, and the different types of discrimination. These themes that made the meeting a real dialogue between the parties were moderated by two exceptional speakers: the captain of the men's first team, Danilo Luiz da Silva, and Juventus Women's first team striker Lindsey Thomas. The two exceptional 'Ambassadors' took an active part in the meeting, recounting their football experiences and answering the many questions of the audience represented by several Under-14 players of the CSI and a representatives from some of the HCL Youth Sector teams: women's Under-19 and Under-17, men's Under-16 and Under-15 teams.
Danilo Luiz Da Silva
"I am delighted to be here today. Unfortunately, still to this day, racism has become a habitual attitude and people often turn their heads the other way, ignoring the problem which, on the contrary, is real. What happens in football is a reflection of what happens in society, in everyday life. We, as footballers, have an important task which is to make ourselves heard, we must be the first to send a message of social cohesion. I, personally, on the pitch and in life have never received racist insults, but unfortunately there is another world besides the real one and that is the digital one, of social networks. So many people hide behind a keyboard to send messages of hate. I think social networks are fantastic tools, but also very dangerous, so it is essential to use them intelligently because even a simple appreciation of a discriminatory post can hurt another person's sensitivity. What I feel like saying, therefore, to the new generations is to have courage, inspiring change; Juventus, in this sense, with the 'Never Again' campaign has launched another strong signal in this direction. Let us fight for our dreams, let us fight for a better world.”
Lindsey Thomas
"I come from the Caribbean, from Guadeloupe to be precise, and I arrived in Europe when I was fifteen years old. In my small island I was the only girl playing football and I cannot deny that there was some discrimination against me simply because I was a girl and I wanted to play football. Once I arrived in Europe I signed my first professional contract in France, with Montpellier, and from that moment on my career has grown so much, year after year, until my arrival at Juventus with whom I share so many values. Sport can teach us so much, it's up to us to assimilate the most valuable lessons. Each of us has our own history and I think it's wonderful to be able to learn so much from different cultures. I think diversity should not be seen as an obstacle, but always as an opportunity for growth, for everyone. Sharing moments of life with different people, from other parts of the world, is the best way to be better people, to enrich oneself on a personal level. In our own small way, each of us can play an important role in improving the world.”
It was a valuable moment of sharing between generations on an issue that is felt by all, that of racism and discrimination.
