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“It was heartbreaking to watch,” football star Timothy Weah says of a moment he still remembers clearly, even a decade later.
In January 2013, Ghanaian striker Kevin-Prince Boateng took his AC Milan teammates off the pitch in a friendly after being subjected to racist abuse by their opponents’ fans.
At the age of 12, it was the first time Weah, son of legendary Liberian footballer George Weah, saw racism in sport.
“I think it was a moment that shook me when I was young,” Weah, 23, told CNN senior sports analyst Darren Lewis. “To see that other people hate us just because of the color of our skin. I feel like he did the right thing to do by leaving the field.
“I feel like if we’re in a scenario like that, we don’t want to play. If they don’t accept us here, there’s no point in playing. Period. “
The concept of players leaving the field if they have been subjected to racist abuse is still raised, and racial abuse is one of many tactics affecting the intellectual fitness of young players, say Weah and Juventus teammate Samuel Iling-Junior.
As well as speaking to CNN Sport, the two men, two of Europe’s most promising young players, talk about intellectual fitness and the player on Juventus’ ‘Stories of Strength’ podcast and insist that being open about emotions and emotions is the most productive way. so that players can cope with the difficulties they encounter.
While there is a therapist at the club to communicate with, they also say they can share their mind with their teammates.
“I see these guys every day,” Weah says. “I’m with Sam every day, so he’s someone that I can definitely confide in and speak to in a personal way.
“This [podcast] has been a wonderful experience. Now that I’m getting older, I think it’s very vital to express your emotions and how you feel to keep moving forward.
Although debates about intellectual fitness have multiplied over the years, some prejudices persist; that admitting vulnerability or asking for help is a sign of weakness, because the football industry is very competitive.
Weah says her family is “very attuned to her feelings and emotions,” but understands that more needs to be said about intellectual fitness.
“My mom made it very easy for me to express how I felt. The communication in my space is incredible,” she says.
“It’s been good, but I felt like it was definitely something worthy of painting in our community, especially as Africans.
“I feel like we often don’t see our fathers, especially our fathers, explicitly how they feel, so that’s definitely something I think we can represent,” Weah adds, talking more about black male masculinity.
Iling-Junior also says she comes from a circle of family members where she is encouraged and supported to be open and fair about her feelings.
“I’ve always been really lucky that from my background and my culture we’ve always found it quite easy to talk to each other,” the 20-year-old Illing-Junior tells CNN Sport.
Weah and Iling-Junior agree that not spending a lot of time with family is one of the most difficult situations faced by young footballers, especially those who travel abroad, as they did.
Despite coming from close-knit families, both players said they had a hard time adjusting after leaving home.
Weah, who plays for the U. S. men’s national team and moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2014 when he was just 14, says he was absent from some of his younger cousins’ highlights.
“They’re all grown up now and I’ve missed everything. Family time, family gatherings, birthdays,” adds Weah.
“You feel liberated from everything. And I think that’s the most important thing. But overall, I think Sam and I know that there’s a bigger goal and that we’re fighting for each and every one of our families. day. And I think that’s what’s wonderful about it.
Iling-Junior came through Chelsea’s youth ranks but left his London home for Turin, Italy when he signed with Juventus in 2020. He says “constantly playing” makes it difficult for players to see their families.
“I came back from home; I’m a guy from London and I live in Turin. So I must see my circle of relatives as much as possible. We’re looking for a regime to make it work,” he said.
Weah points out that while many consider football players to be heroes and idols, it is important that they are “simply human. “
The American states that believing in a “good lifestyle” or a “good car” is necessarily synonymous with happiness.
“When you meet a lot of players, you might discover some attractive things about them,” Weah says. “Everyone has their own life. We all live a different life. Everyone has their own needs.
“And I think when it comes to intellectual health, it’s vital to get a sense of that because I think there will come a time when a lot more footballers will come forward and communicate about their intellectual health.
“Obviously, when they see us, people see that money is good, that lifestyle is good, but for some of us, we don’t see money as the most important aspect of our lives. “
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