"Vinicius' best defence against racism is to be among the best in the world"

Didier Drogba, legendary Ivorian striker and former Chelsea player, said that the way for Brazilian Vinicius Jr. to defend himself from racist attacks at the moment is "to be among the best in the world", and warned that the involvement of governments is essential in this fight.

Drogba, who hung up his boots in 2018 at the age of 40 and is currently vice-president of the NGO 'Peace and Sport', made these statements to 'EFE' on Thursday before participating in an event at the headquarters of Unesco on the role that elite athletes can play in promoting peace.

"Vinicius is going to have to take courage and continue to perform at his best because, at the moment, it is the only way to defend himself, being among the best in the world," said the former Marseille and Galatasaray player, who last October, during the Ballon d'Or 2023 gala, personally thanked the Real Madrid striker for his fight against racism.

Drogba, who suffered episodes of racism as a player, as happened to him in Turkey, acknowledged that it is "difficult" to be in the shoes of Vinicius, who burst into tears at a recent press conference before a Spain-Brazil match, powerless because of the racist insults he receives.

"What Vinicius is experiencing today is also the result of the globalised world we live in, of social networks, of people who hide on their mobile phones to say nasty things to you, to incite hatred. Unfortunately, we need to take strong measures in this regard," he added.

The former player, who won the Champions League in 2012 with Chelsea, urged "all the bodies" involved in football to be firm and, above all, demanded the commitment of governments.

Governments have to get involved in punishing racist acts, because FIFA can decide to sanction, UEFA, too, but without the states, without the action of governments, if they don't get involved, it's difficult to get anything going," warned the former African player.