Mumbai: More than 700 initiatives and projects have been undertaken by LALIGA and its clubs since the 2015/16 season to help eradicate hatred and racism both on and off the pitch. They all aim to promote an inclusive and tolerant society from the bottom up through education, prevention and taking firm action. With these three cornerstones of LALIGA VS, the project developed by LALIGA and the clubs seeks to inspire and raise awareness among fans through the values of football in order to build a society free of hate.
LALIGA VS (laligavs.com) was created with a dual mission: to give a voice to the work that LALIGA and the clubs have been carrying out continuously for more than eight years to build a more tolerant society, and to serve as an engine for the creation of new initiatives that will help end violent behaviour and hateful attitudes in society. This can be done both within the clubs and in collaboration with other institutions and leagues, such as Asobal and LNFS, as well as groups such as Aficiones Unidas.
Eight years of progress
For almost a decade, both LALIGA and its clubs have been involved in hundreds of projects that are now reflected in LALIGA VS. Some of them are regularly repeated, such as lectures and training sessions given by LALIGA’s Integrity and Security department, and the Future Fans project organised by the FUNDACIÓN. During this period, a total of more than 150 training courses have been given to clubs, youth players, students, coaches, and members of the National Police Force, to name but a few.
Other long-term initiatives include the launch of M.O.O.D, the Monitor for the Observation of Hate in Sport, which measures the conversation and the level of hate and racism on social media. At present, the latest M.O.O.D index (Matchday 15) is 5.4 out of 10, the lowest figure of the season. This number shows that the conversation on social media is becoming more respectful and tolerant week by week, not least as a result of the awareness-raising activities carried out by LALIGA and its clubs.
Some one-off but high-impact campaigns have also taken place, such as those carried out earlier this season at LALIGA EA SPORTS and LALIGA HYPERMOTION grounds, where LALIGA VS armbands were handed out to club captains, fans in the stands, and LALIGA GENUINE players; and the inclusion of stickers in stadiums with QR codes inviting fans to provide information related to any discriminatory acts they might witness.
The clubs have also helped take these projects to all parts of Spain. Over the last five years, LALIGA teams have implemented 44 campaigns aimed at curbing hate speech. Some of them are included in the framework of LALIGA VS Racism, such as the VCF World project, carried out by Valencia CF to end discrimination and racist insults. Others have been designed to curb homophobia both on and off the football pitch, such as the day against LGTBI-phobia organised by FC Barcelona. And others are aimed at stopping hate, such as Atlético de Madrid’s We love football campaign. Each has a place in LALIGA VS, a platform created among other reasons, to give them greater visibility.
Since 2015, when the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport and the Spanish Federation’s Competition Committee began to receive reports of abusive chants heard in professional football stadiums, LALIGA’s Legal, and Integrity and Safety Offices received 505 complaints of such incidents.
In addition to these complaints, since LALIGA launched its reporting channel for abusive behaviour last year, three allegations are being examined and investigated by LALIGA’s Legal, and Integrity and Security Departments. This underlines the importance of fans, and society in general, joining the project and contributing to the eradication of hate and abuse in sport and beyond.
In parallel to the implementation of all these initiatives, LALIGA has formally requested an amendment to Law 19/2007 of 11 July 2007 (against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sport) and Law 39/2022 of 30 December 2002 (on sport) in order to have formal jurisdiction in these matters.
A Christmas campaign to help inspire children
As part of the prevention and awareness actions, LALIGA VS has developed an awareness campaign so that fans who come every weekend to the stadiums are aware that every gesture has consequences among children. As with this initiative, others will continue to be organised both by the clubs and by LALIGA, aimed at building a society free of hatred and abuse.
