Frederic Kanoute: more courage is needed

Former Mali national soccer player Frederic Kanoute said that in order to prevent racism in the world of sport, this problem must be addressed before the pitches.

Stating that stricter measures must be taken to prevent racism in the world of sports, Kanoute said: “To prevent racism, we must fight this situation in society before the courts, and this will take some time. It takes more courage, politically and socially, to get out of this. I support the initiatives against racism that are taken in the world of football. All of them are positive steps, but not enough to prevent racism,” he said.

“I CAN BE A BIGGER SOCCER PLAYER”

Emphasizing that to be successful, you need to love the work you do, Kanoute said, “You have to show your best and trust yourself while doing sports. Today, people want everything to happen as soon as possible. It takes time to get good results in what you do. I am grateful to my family in the process of starting soccer. They never pressured me. Supporting your child is good, but applying too much pressure doesn’t produce positive results. I started playing soccer because it was fun for me and I didn’t dream of being a professional soccer player until the last stage. But if you love what you do, things get a little easier.” he said.
Talking about the successes he has had in his career, the former Malian footballer said: “I played for Olympic Lyon, West Ham United and Tottenham, but I felt like I grew up in Seville. We have won many trophies nationally and internationally. It was a great experience. When we won the first European Cup in 2006, I realized that all my hard work had not been in vain. Talent is often not enough. Throughout my career, I have understood the importance of being overworked. This requires a lot of sacrifice and patience. If I had known what I know now when I was a soccer player, I could have been a bigger soccer player.” (AA)