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08.07.2009 13:45
ECA acts to tackle racism
www.fcbarcelona.cat
The European Club Association has this Wednesday signed a Declaration at Camp Nou on behalf of its 140 members which promotes the inclusion of non-discrimination and anti-racism clauses in new contracts for footballers.
The Rome 2009 Room at Camp Nou was the venue this Wednesday for an historic declaration by the 140 clubs which are members of the ECA (European Clubs Association) to include non-discrimination and anti-racism clauses in new contracts for footballers. This is in line with the recommendations made by FC Barcelona in the 'Voice of Youth against Racism' programme drawn up by the FC Barcelona Foundation and UNESCO, and presented last November to the European Parliament.
Public signing
The declaration was signed before the media and in the presence of club
chairman and vice-president of the ECA Joan Laporta, accompanied by Sergei Lazarev, head of the
anti-racism unit at UNESCO and the secretary general of the ECA, Michele Centenaro. Also present
were ex-Barça player Lilian Thuram, who has always strongly supported this type of initiative and
went with the FC Barcelona Foundation last November to the European Parliament. The clauses will be
in all contracts signed from now on between ECA member clubs and players. Sanctions have yet to be
decided.
Foundation programme
The 'Voice of Youth against Racism' programme forms part of the FC
Barcelona–UNESCO alliance and began in 2008 in partnership with the ECCAR (the European
Coalition of Cities against Racism) made up of 72 cities in 16 countries. Between May and October
2008, young people aged 16 to 18 held debates in 9 European cities (Barcelona, Bologna, Botkyrka,
Erlangen, Graz, Malmö, Nuremberg, Serres and Uppsala) which produced a document featuring 10
recommendations which were presented to the European Parliament on 6 November 2008. The first
recommendation, today approved by the ECA, was to include non-discrimination and anti-racism
clauses in contracts for professional sportspeople.
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Laporta and signings: "We’re in no hurry"
Laporta also spoke about the possibility of new signings at the club: “We have a consolidated
team so we’re in no hurry to sign players until the coaching staff think it necessary.
Personally I wouldn’t sign anyone, but we’ll follow the coaches’ advice on this
".
