Mathieu Flamini urges Premier League stars to lead the climate change fight
Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini is urging Premier League players to use their platforms to aid the fight against climate change.
As a player, Flamini was known for his battling qualities in the middle of the park, but the 39-year-old is now focusing on his other passion. The Frenchman was a key voice over Green Football Weekend, promoting the initiative which encouraged fans to try veggie meals.
He is far from the average ex-player, having started a biochemicals company whilst he was midway through his career. Founded in 2008 when he was just 24 years old and playing for AC Milan, GF Biochemicals makes a sustainable alternative to oil products used in shampoo and fragrances using levulinic acid.
Flamini is now determined to combine his two passions and make a difference. “Football is one of the last industries which still manages to unite people from different backgrounds and religions, so the platform of football is huge,” he told Mirror Football.
“I think we need to adapt the narrative to the football community. We talk about the health of the planet, but it’s important to talk about the health of the people as well. We all care about living longer and healthier. These are things we don’t communicate enough. We have to break it down, what it means.
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“We have to protect the next generation and the game we love. In China and India people are not able to train outside anymore because of the pollution.”
Flamini refused to directly criticise the likes of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has signed a huge sponsorship deal with oil company Aramco and has spread out the next World Cups over huge areas, increasing the number of air miles in the process. Having worked on the environmental committee for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Flamini is more focused on the simple, practical steps that can be taken and would be happy to help implement them.
Mathieu Flamini is promoting Green Football Weekend (Teri Pengilley/Green Football Weekend)“The reality today is that we need huge investment,” he said. “We have a few options – offsetting carbon is one, plastic-free stadiums, green energy and giving vegetarian meals to people in the stadiums. Easy solutions can be implemented – it’s all about bringing a strategy.
“Nobody can be perfect and there is a time to adapt and a journey to take. But you have to start the journey. FIFA, UEFA and the Premier League have big roles to play – they have to be leaders in those changes. There are some solutions and some easy tricks to be applied. They need to implement a strategy. But most importantly, you need to want to start that journey. I’d be more than happy to participate and help contribute to that.”
Flamini grew up in Marseille, the son of a diving-mad father who told him about the problem of plastic in the sea. He is a long-time vegan and helped run his company while continuing to play football until retirement from the game in 2019. That background has informed his belief that players need to be more vocal.
Hector Bellerin is one of the few players to speak about sustainability issues (Cristian Trujillo/Getty Images)“For too long we’ve been telling players they shouldn’t speak about their passions and that they should focus on kicking the ball,” he said. “Thank God, this is changing and athletes, when they have a passion, they are finally standing up for it.
“I can see more and more athletes standing up for what they believe in – Marcus Rashford and Mesut Ozil talking about social issues, Hector Bellerin speaking about sustainability. I think athletes have a social responsibility because they have such a large platform, they can really push strong messages and drive the masses. Hopefully, more and more athletes will stand up for what they care about.”
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