As part of the week of education about and actions against racism and anti-Semitism, the Ligue de Football Professionnel and the clubs of Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT are using this weekend to send a clear and firm message: Let's end racism!
For this weekend, a system will be deployed in all stadiums. On the pitch, all players will mobilize by wearing aspecial jersey on which will appear a specific logo symbolizing their commitment against racism. Furthermore, to mark the total involvement of the competitions organized by the LFP, the Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT competition badges will also change to black and white.
All the other actors involved in the matches will also be involved during this particular weekend. Referees, coaches and delegates will wear a special armband, while all officials and journalists will be invited to wear a pin.
This system will be complemented by exceptional visibility. All elements that are part of match protocol (competition flags, corner posts and advertising hoardings) will be changed to black and white, and a panel displaying the slogan “Let’s end racism” will also be displayed. Before the start of Ligue 1 Uber Eats matches, a giant tarpaulin of the same will be deployed over the central circle. Throughout the matches, the LED panels around the pitch will also broadcast a message featuring the anti-racism campaign logo.
On their screens and on their programs, the official broadcasters of Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT will also relay this message of the fight against racism, including, for the first time, the display of the logo during of the broadcast of the matches.
Continuing this weekend of Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT being dedicated to the fight against racism, an auction of jerseys worn by the players will be launched on Wednesday April 3 on the MatchWornShirt platform. All profits from this sale will then be donated to four associations fighting against discrimination with which the LFP collaborates throughout the year: Licra, the Foundation for Inclusive Sport, Foot Ensemble and Her Game Too.
An important digital system, around the #DégageonsLesDiscriminations, will also be activated throughout the weekend and relayed by the entire ecosystem of French professional football (competitions, clubs, broadcasters partners, sponsors and media) in order to offer maximum visibility to this logo in the fight against racism.
A large number of partners from Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT are working alongside the LFP to send this message of mobilization to as many people as possible. Among them, for the third consecutive year, thanks to the involvement of EA SPORTS™, the campaign will also be deployed on virtual pitches, via the EA SPORTS FC 24 video game. A new jersey in the colours of Licra, featuring the logo of the operation, will be available in the Ultimate Team game mode, along with other stadium customization elements. For its part, Uber Eats, title sponsor of Ligue 1, will broadcast its LED messages in the colours of the operation.
MPG will launch a “Let's end racism” jersey that players will have the opportunity to unlock and wear throughout the 27th round of Ligue 1 Uber Eats, before one of those who wore it is drawn at random to win the jersey of their favourite club.
This campaign of communication, aimed at the general public is part of an ambitious strategy to combat all forms of discrimination.
Throughout the season, the LFP organizes awareness workshops on the fight against discrimination, in particular against homophobia, racism and anti-Semitism in all Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT clubs. Alongside anti-discrimination groups and the UNFP, the LFP goes to professional clubs to meet with professional players, staff members, managers, as well as supporters in order to carry out awareness-raising activities in the fight against discrimination. These workshops allow for focused moments of exchange and debate to better raise awareness among the different stakeholders.
Since the launch of these workshops in November 2021, 74 workshops have been organized at 27 different clubs. A pioneer in this area, the LFP is committed to traveling to all clubs to directly raise awareness among players, top management and supporters. Since this season, as voted on by the Board of Directors on January 24, 2023, these anti-discrimination workshops have been included in the criteria for obtaining a Club License. This criterion was renewed and consolidated by the Board of Directors of January 24, 2024 when adopting the Club License for the 2024/2025 season.
As part of the partnership between the LFP and Licra, a reporting platform has been designed and developed: https://www.licra.org/lfp. Created in 2019, this platform aims to allow victims or witnesses of racist and anti-Semitic acts in stadiums to report the acts and obtain legal assistance from Licra. Reports are also transmitted to the Disciplinary Commission. When acts of racism are proven in the stands, the Disciplinary Commission, after investigation, is required to take very severe sanctions which can go as far as a reduction of points.
On the judicial front, since 2020, the LFP has included the fight against discrimination in its statutes. This demonstrates the commitments of the League but also and above all gives it a better basis to become a civil party before the courts.
Great idea.
To bad it has be in partnership with the low life sweat shop Uber.