Footballers fight against racism

Questions and answers
Yves Eigenrauch, Ramon Vega, Paul Elliott and Anthony Baffoe, who are all ambassadors for the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network, took part in a question-and-answer session to mark the three-week anti-discrimination programme at the tournament. The Unite Against Racism programme, coordinated by the FARE network in conjunction with UEFA and supported of the professional players' union FIFPro, will run throughout the tournament.

TV advertising spot
It will include the TV advertising spot "Different Languages - One Goal: No To Racism" broadcast at every game and produced in co-operation with the European Commission, pitch-side boards and activities with fans. The campaign will culminate with messages of anti-racism from the team captains direct from the pitch at both semi-finals.

Isolated feeling
Vega, the former Swiss captain and English FA Premier League star with Tottenham Hotspur FC, is of Italian decent. "I played in the United Kingdom, both in England and Scotland, as well as France and Italy, and I experienced discrimination in all of them. In the UK, I was the foreigner. This left me feeling very isolated. In Italy too, supporters and even fellow professionals targeted me for abuse. But football is a great leveller. This is why I am here, to help show what this great sport can do when bringing people together and stamping out racism."

Keeping up progress
Elliott, the former Chelsea FC, Celtic FC and AS Bari defender, said: "The racism problem in the game is improving, but we still need to rely on law, and implementation of the law. He said: "I was one of the first generation of black players in the UK who received racist abuse of the ugliest kind. Banana-throwing was commonplace. Now things are different but both individuals and agencies, like FARE, need to keep working together to maintain this progress."

Tackling racism
Ghana's Anthony Baffoe, who spent time with 1. FC Köln in Germany, added: "I used humour and irony to tackle racism during my time in Germany. Some fans liked it, others didn't, but it earned me respect. Now one only has to look at the leading players across Europe. Many of them are African." Baffoe played in many countries and was able to give his view on how racism from the terraces differed in different parts of the world.

Long way to go
"The last time we were gathered at the beginning of a [UEFA] European Championship, in Porto, we had many hopes and aspirations of what the FARE network was capable of achieving, "said Piara Powar, Director of FARE UK member, Kick It Out. "I am delighted to say that since four years ago, we have managed to grow across the continent and the network is now active in 38 countries. Many of our aims have been met but there is still a long way to go before ridding our game of the cancer of racist abuse for good."

Full details in English, German, French and Italian are available at www.FAREnet.org