FOOTBALL4GOOD MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2019

generation in order to understand what the world needs, what the problems of the world in the future might be and get to an important age – before 35 – to do something bigger. ENIOLA : I think what motivates me is that I didn’t have it. Growing up, I didn’t see anyone on TV like me. So, I was playing football and I felt strange because I couldn’t see any females on the TV playing football. Now I’m in this position and I have girls coming up to me and saying, “Eniola we want your shirt,” and they see me as someone to be, to aspire to. I feel like it is my responsibility to show a good way and to empower other girls to make them feel that they can “GROWING UP, I DIDN’T SEE ANYONE ON TV LIKE ME. SO, I WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL AND I FELT STRANGE BECAUSE I COULDN’T SEE ANY FEMALES ON THE TV PLAYING FOOTBALL. NOW I’M IN THIS POSITION AND I HAVE GIRLS COMING UP TO ME AND SAYING, “ENIOLA WEWANT YOUR SHIRT,” AND THEY SEE ME AS SOMEONE TO BE, TO ASPIRE TO.” Eniola Aluko do it. Because that was something that was missing for me. I think it is so im- portant to be able to do this because there is still this thing in society that says girls shouldn’t play sports or they shouldn’t do something different to what society tells women to do. But they need to feel confident in who they are, so I try as much as possi- ble to send out positive messages to women and girls that they can do whatever they want to do. And that they have to work hard and believe in themselves, because I feel like if I had had that when I was younger, I would have been more confident to get where I am today. AS WELL AS ADVOCATING FOR GENDER EQUALITY, YOU HAVE USED YOUR PLATFORM TO ADDRESS RACISM, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT HAS AFFECTED YOU PERSONALLY... ENIOLA : There are always many issues that players have a certain drawing towards because it affects them or they feel passionate about. Racism is something that affected me and also my career. But I don’t see colour, I see people. So, racism was something that I didn’t understand. Especially in sport, because if we are all playing at the highest level then we are all good enough. So why should we differentiate by colour. I always felt I needed to use my voice as much as possible at certain moments to speak to this issue and say, “Ok, this needs to stop” or “This needs to change.” I think that it is a global Above: Eniola Aluko at Broadmeadow Junior. Below: In 2019, Aluko published a memoir. issue. Not just in football, but in so- ciety and we need to be more open about it because unless we speak about it, we can’t address it. So, yes, I’ve been personally affected by it and it wasn’t a nice experience, but, like many other athletes, I want to be able to use my voice to change this issue and try and have solu- tions towards racism in football and try and impact society because, as you know, with Common Goal if we address something in football it will have a knock-on effect in society. It’s an important issue to me and it is something that I will continue to, not just talk about, but have actions towards to creating a solution to it as well. DO YOU HAVE CONCRETE IDEAS ABOUT SOME OF THOSE ACTIONS AND SOLUTIONS? ENIOLA :I think there’s a lot of talk and I would like more action now from UEFA, from FIFA to have strong- er punishments if it happens in a match. So that when it does happen, people know there’s a big conse- quence to this. I think too many times it’s been too soft a solution, and so it happens again. It’s not my job, it’s not the players’ job, it’s the job of the referee or UEFA or FIFA to make sure the punish- ments are very strong. That, for me, is the next step. GIORGIO : I think now it is a problem for the law and we have to combat this not by talking, but by doing something. Not just UEFA or FIFA, FIGC in Italia... We need something more. In Italy, the government should make some laws that can help the Federation and the clubs in order to punish the people who are racist in the stadium. It’s a problem of society, not just of football. But football is the most played and most viewed sport in Italy, in Europe and maybe in the world. In our club at the beginning of every year, we are a team. We are 25 play- ers, from every part of the world, many cultures, many nations, many habits – all different. Our issue, especially for someone like me who has played here for 15 years is to create a group, a team. We are 25 and only 11 can play. We are 25 and we have different approaches to life. Not just to training or playing. We have to help the foreign players to feel at home. The difficulty is the South American is different from the German is different from the English is different from the African. Everyone is different – even Italian and Spanish and French are different. And our issue every year at Juventus is creating a team and to help everyone feel at home. Every person in a different way. In the end, we have to create a group because a group can make a difference. A single player only scores a goal. But, in the end, in our team, we are not just 1+1+1….We have to do something more. BEYOND YOUR INDIVIDUAL PLAT- FORMS, WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO JOIN THE COMMON GOAL MOVEMENT? GIORGIO : I think most of us do some charity, because we are so lucky for Eniola Aluko speak- ing at Web Summit in Lisbon after being announced as the latest member of Common Goal. 28 29 FOOTBALL4GOODMAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2019 ACONVERSATIONWITH GIORGIOCHIELLINI &ENIOLA ALUKO