“There is racism in a lot of countries, all over the world. This obviously also translates to the football pitch. There have been innumerable racist incidents in European football, for example. Personally, I think it took far too long for the leagues to take action.
“So we have to step up for the people who are experiencing racism on the pitch as well as off the pitch.”
The 28-year-old further claimed he supports football players who protest against racial abuse by stating: “Those who protest have every reason and right to do so,” he says, adding that racism has grown to the extent that telling people that some events or chants are racist, is not enough.