Belgian Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany recently gave a 12-minute monologue against racism during a press conference. The reason for this was a racist incident during a Champions League match. Professor Jacco van Sterkenburg, professor of racism, sport and media at ESHCC, was interviewed about this by Belgian newspaper De Standaard.
We know that football is rife with racism, but sometimes it becomes painfully clear once again. This was evident during the Benfica – Real Madrid football match on 17 February. White Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni said something (with his shirt covering his mouth) to black Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr. The latter stormed towards the referee, threatened to walk off the pitch and was supported by his teammate Kylian Mbappé, who had heard Prestianni say five times that Vinicius was a “monkey”.
Apparently, Vincent Kompany had had enough, even though he is the coach of a team that is not involved in this particular case. Kompany has a black father and has himself been a regular victim of racism as a player. He gave a calm, uninterrupted account of the abuse directed at Vinicius Jr. and the reaction of Benfica coach José Mourinho, who believed that Benfica cannot be racist because the club's best player ever (Eusébio) is black.
According to Van Sterkenburg, Kompany's strength lies in the calmness he exudes, even though the subject clearly affects him. He builds his argument and does not polarise. ‘He points out that people make mistakes, but that they should be given the opportunity to apologise and that there should be room for that. He advocates connection rather than confrontation. That appeals to people.’ According to Van Sterkenburg in De Standaard.
Over the past 25 years, Van Sterkenburg's research has focused on inclusion, equality and diversity within the media, the world of sport and the football sector, including football video games and leadership. He has contributed to setting the agenda for these themes, as evidenced by his publications, collaboration with the players' union FIFPRO, his teaching and the prestigious national and international research grants he has received.
Van Sterkenburg was recently appointed Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) of the IDEA Centre at Erasmus University Rotterdam. In this role, he works to promote a fair and inclusive university, which is essential for creating a sense of connection among the wide diversity of staff and students.
- Professor
