Former Brazilian international Roberto Carlos said on Tuesday he has faced situations of racist abuse similar to those of his compatriot Vinicius Junior and believes only the federations, FIFA and UEFA can solve the problem.
“I went through the same situation. [do Vinícius] when I played in some stadiums where I was subjected to insults and racism. We must be very reasonable. We, the players, cannot decide anything. FIFA, UEFA and the federations of each country must resolve this issue. If there is racism, there must be punishment,” the former player said at a web summit, where he spoke about the Striver platform, which aims to combat the phenomenon of racism on social networks.
Roberto Carlos explained that Striver “comes to put people in their place and create a safe environment for everyone”, adding: “It is important that modern players interact with the public and that the reaction is always positive. So many social networks. Today it is necessary to have the necessary tools to protect yourself. The world is evolving, and we follow this evolution.”
Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior has been the target of countless racist insults, which has already led Brazilian and Spanish authorities to seek joint strategies to combat the problem, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to appeal to organizers of sporting events to implement “strategies on preventing racism in sport.”
The former Real Madrid left-back believed that “the abuse on social media is going through the roof and it’s time to say enough is enough. It’s hard for a player to know that he’s being insulted by thousands of people.”
Gilberto Silva, also a former Brazil international, also admitted to experiencing racism on the pitch and said that “the best way to solve this problem is not to give a voice” to those involved.
“At Arsenal, in the Champions League, I had a similar experience. We can’t fight against a stupid group of people and we can’t judge everyone because of a small group of people. I have to focus on myself, on my performance and how I can help the team. The best way to deal with this is to not give these people a voice,” he said.
The chief executive of Striver, which is described as an abuse-free social platform created by footballers for fans, said he had spoken to “four or five Premier League clubs as well as an important Portuguese club”.
“The reception to Striver has been overwhelmingly positive and the feedback has been great,” said Tim Chase.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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