Sport and racism: shedding light on the past to build the future

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Céline Erciyas, European Affairs Officer, Think tank Sport and Citizenship

24/02/2025

Sport, which is supposed to bring people together, is still characterised by discrimination, particularly racism. This issue was the focus of the conference ‘Racisme dans le sport : miroir de notre société ?’ (Racism in sport: a mirror of our society?) held in Brussels. Moderated by Eva Jacomet, head of European affairs at Sport and Citizenship, and journalist Safia Kessas, and organised by Coopération Education Culture (CEC) in partnership with Panathlon Wallonie-Bruxelles, Racism in Sport, Sport and Citizenship and UNIA, this meeting explored the roots of the problem and identified concrete solutions.

A colonial legacy that is still with us

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Belgian and European colonial history has left deep traces, still influencing representations and behaviours in sport today. This invisibility of colonial history contributes to the prevalence of discrimination. Dominique Gillerot, director of CEC, shared this observation, stressing the need to teach this history from an early age to raise awareness.

Lilian Thuram, 1998 world champion, emphasised the persistence of stereotypes, pointing out, for example, that black athletes are still too often valued solely for their physical abilities, while their tactical intelligence is too rarely mentioned. A biased perception that hinders equal opportunities and the recognition of their talent.

A systemic problem

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Racism in sport is not limited to insults in stadiums. It is systemic, present at all levels of the sports sector. ‘Sport functions as a mirror of society, where inequalities are reflected and sometimes reinforced,’ explained sociologist Marco Martiniello.

The problem is widespread, as evidenced by the figures from the Belgian Football Federation, which has recorded 452 reports of racist acts, an increase of 21% over the 2022-2023 season. Although they do not necessarily reflect an explosion in cases of racist discrimination, but rather an increase in reporting, many incidents are still under-reported, thus leading to an underestimation of the phenomenon. This situation is the result of several factors: the rise of far-right ideologies favouring the trivialisation of racist discourse, a persistent colonial historical legacy, as well as a weak commitment from sports bodies. Marco Martiniello emphasised in particular the inaction of many clubs and federations in the face of racist insults and discrimination, in stadiums or on the pitch, where economic interests often take precedence over firm sanctions. He therefore calls for anti-racism to become a fundamental part of the DNA of football clubs and sport in general.

Steps towards a more inclusive sport

Concrete solutions exist to address this situation. These include, for example:

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Awareness-raising and training: essential levers: ‘Coaches and educators must be trained to identify and combat discrimination,’ emphasised Estelle Depris, a trainer specialising in issues relating to racial discrimination, supported in her remarks by Sanae Jah, a professional boxer and now coach. Committed to raising awareness among stakeholders from all walks of life, Estelle Depris reiterated that this approach remains essential. By equipping professionals, we create a snowball effect that promotes collective awareness and lasting change.

Better representation of minorities in governance bodies is essential. It allows these issues to emerge on the agenda and concrete and comprehensive action plans to be put in place. Without diversity at the decision-making table, change remains limited.

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The imposition of sanctions and accountability: Samia Ahrouch, inclusion manager at URBSFA, emphasised the importance of a cross-cutting commitment from the federations, including prevention and awareness-raising, but also reporting and sanctions for discrimination. In this respect, URBSFA is a model for other European organisations, thanks to its National Chamber for Combating Discrimination and Racism, created in 2021 as the Federation’s disciplinary body responsible for collecting and judging reported incidents.

A collective commitment: Lilian Thuram called for collective mobilisation, insisting on the need for players to take a stand against racism, even if they consider themselves not to be directly affected. He also questioned the idea of ‘neutrality in sport’, used to dissuade athletes from speaking out, and reiterated that sport has always been politicised. Both Lilian Thuram and Martin Fortez, a lawyer at UNIA, emphasised the importance of raising the profile of these issues and condemning such behaviour or insults.

Towards a more inclusive sport?

The Think Tank Sport eand Citizenship, which has been involved in these issues for many years through training and support projects for sports stakeholders (60 minutes to fight discrimination, PLAYER, Replay, SportBoard, FIRE+), will continue to defend inclusive sport that is free from all forms of discrimination.
There is still a long way to go, but the discussions held in Brussels have emphasised one essential thing: it is together that we will advance the cause of equality and inclusion in sport.