Former long-serving Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says that football is "by essence anti-racist" and offers an example of how wider society should work.
Protests and demonstrations have taken place across the world over recent weeks following the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
Premier League teams have marked their support for the Black Lives Matter movement by kneeling in training sessions and wearing t-shirts bearing anti-racism messages, while earlier on Friday it was confirmed that players will have the names on the back of their shirts replaced by 'Black Lives Matter' in the opening round of fixtures next week.
A Black Lives Matter logo will also feature on Premier League shirts for the remainder of the season, while players who ‘take a knee’ before or during matches will have the top-flight's support.
In a wide-ranging interview about racism, Wenger - now working as Fifa's head of global football - expressed his belief that society as a whole can learn from football because it does not discriminate but instead allows people to be chosen purely based on "merit and quality".
“I would say football is by essence anti-racist," he told beIN Sports' Keys & Gray Show. "Why? Because you know that no matter if you’re the son of the King of England or if you’re black or white or red – if you’re good you play.
"I would even say that football is an example of how the whole of society should work, because it’s only based on merit and quality. If you’re good enough, you play.
"Inside the game, there’s no racism. Around football and in the stands it happens and we’ve seen it again in England with the national team away games."
Asked whether black ex-players or black coaches are being denied places at the highest level in England, Wenger said: "Maybe, that’s what I hear. If it is like that it’s a shame.
"In France we created the concept of positive discrimination but that means you give positions to people because they’re not given enough chances – but this is also discrimination because people who are better may not get the job.
"So you want people to give the same chances to everybody, no matter where you’re from or how you look, but as well, not to create another discrimination because of artificial solutions you want to find.
“I had former players like Patrick Vieira, who is [doing] a fantastic job in Nice.
"Sol Campbell is a manager [of Southend United] – I hope he will make it at the top level and I heard he’s doing very good work. It’s a kind of humiliation to say you just got this position because of where you’re from."
During his 22-year reign at Arsenal, Wenger once picked an entire XI featuring no English players - becoming the first Premier League manager to do so.
But he insists he was not aware of his decision at the time and only selected his team based on their individual qualities.
"Personally, I fight for the merit," he added. "I played games in England with people from 11 different countries. Honestly, after the game when I was told I didn’t even know because I just chose the players because of their quality.
"That is where football can be ahead in society and show what kind of way we all have to follow."
