Ligue 1: players will wear shirts with the first names of victims of discrimination this weekend

This weekend, jerseys of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 players will be personalized with the names of victims of sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, or homophobia as part of a campaign initiated by the LFP. Myriam, Sofiane, Axel, or Laura. They have been victims of sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, or homophobia, and will lend their names to the footballers of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 for the weekend. The Professional Football League (LFP) unveiled its annual awareness campaign on discrimination this Friday, following the campaign against homophobia under the rainbow flag, definitively removed from the shirts. Players from the 18 L1 and 18 L2 clubs were able to choose from 34 names to appear on the back of their shirts. They belong to the “real victims,” specifies the LFP, which collaborates on these issues with various associations (Foot Ensemble, Licra, Tous uniques tous unis, Her Game Too…). The League produced a video tutorial distributed to the clubs, who then shared it with the players. “Putting the victims at the center” “Your jerseys change. Your name gives way to a name that has experienced this (discrimination). You will wear this name, make it exist. Thank you for reminding that on the field, nobody is rejected for who they are,” narrates a voice-over in this video addressed to the players, who are the luxury representatives of an “awareness campaign to raise awareness,” which is not intended to be preachy, according to the LFP. The main objective: “Putting the victims at the center” and that “the players play for them.” In addition to the matches, visuals will be displayed on the giant screens in the stadiums, with a statement from one of the 34 victims. “He verbally assaulted me and tried to spit on me,” “a guy behind me imitated my accent with every move,” or “I was asked if I was a boy or a girl” are some excerpts from the testimonies. This initiative will have even more visibility as 8 out of the 9 L1 matches will be exceptionally available for free on Ligue 1+ this weekend.