Campaign aims to kick racism out of Czech football

In many countries in central and eastern Europe, black football players frequently come in for racist abuse from the terraces. Clubs and national associations have sometimes come in for heavy fines, but the problem shows no signs of going away. The Czech government has just launched a new anti-racism campaign, part of which focuses on the issue of racism in football. Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby reports.

As the new football season begins in the Czech Republic ads have appeared in magazines and newspapers drawing attention to racism in Czech football. But Leon Mann of the UK-based organisation Kick it Out says it's an issue which affects the whole of the former Eastern Bloc.

"There is a big problem in eastern Europe with racism in football. Those ex-communist countries, while they were communist countries, didn't have much integration or much immigration. There is a lack of education, a lack of understanding, which is where racism really comes from."

Noel Alexandre Mendy is a black French footballer who plays for first division club Pribram. He says racist abuse is especially prevalent in the lower echelons of the Czech league.

"Let's say that the biggest problems I had occurred when I used to play in the B-team. In the first division, the main clubs are used to having players of colour from other countries. But when I played in the reserves we had problems, with lots of racial insults."

The Czech Football Association has thrown its weight behind the anti-racism campaign. Here's the FA's Vit Pavlousek.

"The reason is one and only to put racism out of Czech football, and out of the stadiums, because in Czech football there are not a lot of players of a different colour."

The new advertisements feature Slavia Prague's black Brazilian striker Adauto, a frequent victim of abuse, and a white football fan, who the ad says is a victim of his own ignorance and frustration. Vojtech Kopecky designed the advertising campaign.

"Of course we're not saying we should feel sorry for racists, but still we want to say we should pay attention to them, to help them stop being victims of their own prejudices. That's why we say 'we're all victims' - either we're 'active' victims of racism, or we're victims of our own limitations, and of the fact that we can't open up our minds."

Many people both within and outside the world of football will no doubt be hoping the ad campaign makes at least some headway in kicking racism out of the game in the Czech Republic.