"Children imitate the actions of adults." Recently, Antoine Griezmann (34, Atlético Madrid) made remarks calling for an end to racism. However, voices are growing that Griezmann himself should reflect more deeply on his past mistakes.

The British 'Tribuna' reported on the 11th (Korean time) that "Griezmann said in an official FIFA interview that 'children imitate the actions of adults, so adults should be more mindful of their words and actions.'" He emphasized the necessity of eradicating racism in soccer by stating, "There are still very bad and foolish racist songs and behaviors. This must never happen."

Griezmann's recent comments are followed by the critique that "this must first apply to himself." This is because he previously stirred controversy with direct racist behavior targeting Japanese people while being a member of FC Barcelona.

During Barcelona's tour in Japan in 2019, Griezmann and his teammate Ousmane Dembélé filmed a video that contained derogatory remarks about the Asian ethnicity toward Japanese hotel staff and repairmen, causing an uproar. In the video, Griezmann mocked with phrases like "backward language" and "ugly face," while Dembélé laughed and said, "people who need to be more advanced."

At that time, Hiroshi Mikitani, the chairman of the main sponsor Rakuten, publicly expressed his discontent, saying, "This is very unpleasant," and Barcelona had to issue an official apology to Japanese and Asian fans through the club's official website on July 7, 2021.

In the statement, Barcelona said, "It was an action contrary to the values that the club and our partners stand for," and stated, "We will do our utmost to create a club free of discrimination." The club also officially mentioned that "they would follow internal disciplinary procedures against the players involved due to this incident."

Griezmann's remarks clearly contain a correct message. His observation that "children learn from the actions of their parents and racism takes root in society that way" is accurate. The issue is that before delivering this message to the public, it is necessary for him to engage in more serious reflection and action regarding his past behavior.

In this interview, Griezmann reiterated that "an attitude of mutual respect and consideration for others is important." Therefore, fans will inevitably start to wonder what he has genuinely changed and what actions he has demonstrated since the incident of disparaging the Japanese in 2019.

If soccer has the power to unite the world, the individual responsibilities of each player are anything but light. Looking back on past actions, proving through 'practice' rather than 'words' is the way to make his remarks more convincing.

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