Yaya Toure considering retiring from football to focus on tackling racism
Tuesday 17 December 2019 18:36, UK
Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure says he is considering retirement to help root out discrimination in football.
Toure, who now plays for Chinese club Qingdao Huanghai, was critical of the three paintings of monkeys commissioned by Serie A, and says such incidents made him think about retiring so he could work with FIFA in their battle against racism.
Roma and AC Milan have condemned the paintings, while Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari described them as "mind-bogglingly offensive".
"When I saw those things, of course I want to play (for) one more year maximum, but I have to retire to join FIFA to work on that because these things hurt a lot," said Toure.
"To have the feeling and to see those things is just unbelievable. I don't know how people can trust (anymore).
"I know the organisations (like) FIFA and UEFA are doing a lot just to carry on things and making things happen.
"We can talk about education because the fans are in a different way. You can sanction the clubs and make the field empty."
Toure's former Manchester City team-mate Mario Balotelli is one of a number of players to have suffered racist abuse while playing in Serie A, while two weeks ago Italian paper Corriere dello Sport was criticised for using the headline 'Black Friday' on its front page alongside images of Inter striker Romelu Lukaku and Roma's Chris Smalling.
"I've been in the reality," said Toure. "When you are in the field and feel that. It's very, very hard.
"When you see the family watching (you) on the TV, or maybe coming in the stadium and you have this kind of discrimination and abuse, it's quite complicated."
