Mathieu Flamini opens up on football’s climate challenge

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Mathieu Flamini joins David Garrido to discuss football’s responsibility on climate change, ahead of Green Football Weekend.

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It is a very warm Total Football welcome to mat Flem great to have you I love that you were smiling as you were watching that back scoring against Liverpool of course as you know Arsenal have got Liverpool this weekend as well um thank you so much for for coming in

And aside that story playing career you’ve had with Arsenal and Ace Milan and others we know that you’re a big climate Advocate and you’re an ambassador of green football weekend as well so we’re going to take a little bit of a a journey through your journey and

Thank you for going deep into the camera role for this one as well for sharing some of your personal photos so just tell us what was your first experience or memory of of any kind of environmental issue in your life mat so first of all I mean I remember a long

Time ago um going to the sea with my dad my dad used to be a diver by Passion and uh he used to take me with him when he used to go and dive so um and I remember those those collector of plastic on a beach for hours already at the time I

Was very much aware of the the impact of the humankind on nature and since then you know like I grew up in a direction of hoping to be able to to bring my small contribution and to tackle climate change because it is something which impact all ofice it really does you

Mentioned ocean pollution there let’s just take a little stroll here that’s one thing plastic pollution but ocean Health as a whole what why is it so vital for our planet for those who don’t really follow the issues quite so closely as you do just explain that here we are surface against sewage you’re

Making a pledge here to protect the ocean the lungs of the planet they are so important for us as well aren’t they of course I mean we say that if the ocean dies we die why because obviously we need the oxygen from the ocean the ocean also helps to regulate you know

The CO2 emissions and we also with fish I mean we we I mean the sea is providing a lot of food for for for everybody so it is very important to protect it I mean we talk a lot about plastic which is of course important but the question

Is also what is inside the product we use every day because plastic is one problem but also all those ingredients which come from fossil fuel it’s another big issue yeah and and we know that right now we’re just not taking care of the ocean very well we we need to make

It simply a better impact I love this image here here you are with mesel your teammate at Arsenal and of course now Prince William um just just tell us a little bit about this Mata because you know you were Arsenal together just come forward a little bit um how much did

Actually being at Arsenal help you sort of have a positive impact in the world how did it harness that passion because I’ve always felt that arsenal were a team with with with soul they they care about doing the right thing having a positive impact so how did that help

Hone that for you I mean it’s true I mean playing for Arsenal I mean we always been pushed to to engage with with the football Community Arsenal is doing a lot for the for the for the community around around the club trying to unite everybody to bring trying to

Bring people together and to Al also stand up for important causes here we were United together for social causes which are very close to meso zil heart and um I think athlet has have a social responsibility clubs big institution in football I mean football is still one of

The the last uh Community one of the last industry we still manag to bring people together to unite people and I think it is our duty to stand up for passion to stand up for beliefs and my beliefs and something which is close to my heart is sustainabil climate change

And and I strongly believe that we all have the power to to act and small changes put on a big scale we can have a big impact and in terms of you as a footballer but you also starting your career in business how did you balance

That at the time you know trying to spend time you know training playing Etc and then also developing what’s now ended up as GF biochemicals so let’s me let’s make it very clear when you play at the at the highest level I mean you need a 100% commitment but the reality

Is also like recovery is very important and we have some some time off during the day so for me it was an escape it was an escape to be able to change my mind to move to something different to potentially leave my problems in a dressing room because a carer is made of

Up and down sometimes you sometimes you don’t play so it was for me an escape to to clear my mind change my mind and it’s also it was a passion since a very early age so I wanted to to leave my passion also of the pitch and to be able to

Slowly slowly move also like to what we call a second carer because also being an athlete and a football player you realize very quickly than by 35 36 you know you need to reinvent yourself so I started like 12 years ago while I was playing for a Similan at the time to

Slowly slowly you know build this this company and also like Express this second passion that’s why you know I always I always push other athlet which have passion to express it and to also like tender Point yeah it’s not just about staying in your lane as a footballer um it’s about using your

Voice I mean just tell us I love this by the way this shot of you in a set I wish our set look like this from the planet from the pitch of the planet in a lesson in Metamorphosis um what what responsibility does foot have when it

Comes to the environment I mean you you’re using your voice but what more can players can clubs can leagues can federations do when it comes to tackling climate change I think like I was saying what I love about football and Sport you know is one of those industry which

Manag to bring everybody together unite everyone I mean from different Religion different culture I mean different background you know so this is a beauty of sport in football and I feel like football has an important role to play in like communicating creating awareness and standing up against you know climate

Change because like I was saying I mean it doesn’t always you know like people who care the planet but it affect all of us because the reality is if you break down you know what is climate change we also talk about pollutions we also talk about the impact of plastic on health

When we eat fish you know like the fish is basically also carrying plastic end up like in our body so it’s all related and um I strongly believe that clubs big institutions but also football players we all have a social responsibility because in reality we have a huge

Platform social media today is playing such an important role we need to use our platform to basically create positive change and inspire you know the Next Generation to do the right thing when we talk to fans about about this issue it’s not the easiest conversation

I’ve got to say Matthew and and one of their frustrations is travel as you know it’s it’s the single biggest contribution to football in terms of carbon emissions what can football realistically do as an industry to try and tackle that aspect of climate change travel as a whole because you know fans

Will be traveling up and down the country this weekend and and a lot of them will be travel you know in in a car probably a petrol or diesel car obviously want them to try and use trains we want them to try and not fly so can football have a greater lobbying

Role I suppose in that respect I think we can I think we can and and first of all it’s not about pointing at anybody and it’s a journey so nobody is perfect and it’s about starting the journey I think it’s also about having an holistic approach is not only about the

Transportations it’s one of the important aspect but I remember remember the time when I used to play for arsenal we used to go to Liverpool to Manchester we used to take the train so I mean if we used to do that I think it is possible for the fans it’s also putting

More pressure on government government needs to also make it available for the fans football clubs need to make it available for the fans to have a Greener options we talk about also like with a green football future and you can go on a website and you can choose like a

Vegan option why food is so important because yes it’s important for climate change yes it’s important for the planet but the reality is important for our health I mean I’ve been a professional football player and I’ve been a vegetarian vegan for a long time because he has been helping me to recover

Quicker to perform better on a pitch so the reality is like having like a vegetarian option it is first more important for yourself and then it is important for the planet so there are all those little I we say quick wins which football clubs can Implement and

Help the football fans you know like to go on a A Greener journey I we say um I’m going to say some words I don’t think I’ve ever been said said before on Sky Sports News levulinic acid this is what you do right this is what your

Company makes this is what could make a big change in the world really briefly because we we’re a little short on time at you what what is it why could it be a game Cher I’m going to make it very short I think like what people need to

Know is like in a product we use every day going from shampoo shower gel detergent for the house most of those product are still today made of fossil fuel ingredients so what we do at Jeff biochemicals we are we places those n0 ingredients by plantbased ingredient which makes the

End product so the shampoo the show the detergent of T much safer and much sustainable for everyone right there you go and that impacts the number of things that that that could apply to Green football weekend campaign reaching its climax this weekend it’s aimed to engage fans in positive climate action this is

How it works you go to greenall weekend.com sign up for your Club get involved in Planet protecting activities line wash your clothes line dry your clothes ditch the car walk to cycle to school eat a vegan or veggie meal each of those activities scores green goals and then whichever Club has the most

Green goals by the end of Monday wins the green football cup let’s have a look at the latest standings this of midday today Manchester United are top a good 800 goals clear of Northampton town of League one Leicester Chelsea brenford are all north of a thousand green goals

And forest green Rovers of League two greenest club in the world round out the top six let’s get a sense now what clubs up and down the country are doing to celebrate Green football weekend before we once again speak to Our Guest mat flamini so let’s start off then with the

Premier League and what is going on in England’s top division so Brighton are working with a startup called fc8 to use uh and upcycle misprinted kits into other items Crystal Palace installing solar at their Academy Newcastle offering free public transport with a match ticket for the Luton game on we go

To the championship at Bristol City by the way we’ve got a surplus food trip after their game against Le tonight live on Sky Swansea City doing a l pick on Swansea Beach and West BR alion have launched their baggies pastures green Steering group on environmental issues

In League one EXA have got a clothing donation bin for children’s charity near their ground ahead of their Bristol rers Wick are upgrading the stadium lights to LED Wickam have launched their sustainability strategy as well into League 2 Bradford staged a Ready Steady veggie Cookoff with players at are local

Plant-based mown restaurant Forest Green Rovers do a lot but the match ball for their game against Colchester is traveling there by bamboo bike courtesy of climate Advocate Kate strong and also wara did their dedicated game green foot weekend again Sutton last Saturday they had a green menu served at food kios at

WSL as well Aston Villa have a food a football rebooted donation point for old football boots at their game against bristell City Chelsea doing a flip menu for their game live on Sky against Everton on Sunday which means you have all the vegan and veggie menus at the

Top 90% of them the rest of them eat right let’s talk to M me abouten green football weekend I it’s a great initiative how important is it to unite football in this way in the name of climate action then I think it’s very important and it’s very important to

Also like bring it as an agenda you know like we’re talking about such an important issue and is about empowering like all the fans football fans I mean we’re talking about the community of fre billion people and if you are able to have like small changes multiply by 3

Billion I mean you can have a massive impact so already talking about it being able to bring it as an agenda as like I’ve seen like a few football clubs are are developing a strategy this is very important because this is a big topic let’s talk about AR while we still got

You for a few more minutes mat I mean big big game this weekend Arsenal against Liverpool how how critical that Arsenal at least don’t lose that game on Super Sunday I mean at this stage of the of the season I will say that every game is critical and it’s important to to not

To to to look too much forward but to focus on the next game obviously like we’re talking about Arsenal I mean Liverpool these a big games I mean we need those three points but I think the team is is very focused and the team has a lot of consistency and also Mikel ARA

Has been able to to bring this team back together you know to bring all the Arsenal fan you know a lot of proud so this is important but yeah I mean it’s a crucial game I have to say and what about the job that miketa is doing

Overall at the Emirates and how crucial that he stays at the Emirates long term I mean he has been doing a great job I mean the first thing he has been able to do is like to unite you know like the team the club the fans which has been

Like a difficult moment for everybody for for a long period of time to bring proud also you know when you’re Arsenal fan I mean for a long time it has been difficult to be an Arsenal fan so this has been a major achievement then also to bring consistency you know having a

Manager which is able to to come with his his his way of of dealing with with the team and he like to start like working with the to Growing the team and bring people together the players together and give them the time you know like to move in the right direction is

Very important and I think we have seen excellent season last year and we hope this year another excellent season and why not maybe like dreaming dreaming bigger and what about the the alumni especially around your time at Aral the likes of SES fabrias now at Como you’ve

Got Jack Wilshire coaching the under 18s P mesaca running the academy edu sporting director what is about Arsenal that is kind of making these players have a really good second chapter in their careers yeah I’m very proud also to see the ex player being very close to

The to the to the team you know like with spar with with with Mel now in in a first team I mean it is very important I think like to to keep those old players you know like close to the clubs because they have been part of the history and

They are also understanding the DNA of the club so this is great and it’s great also to see all teammates like taking the direction of potentially one day being like a top manager of the Premier League or or all the club so it’s uh it’s great to see all these can we tempt

You back to football match I mean you know you’re involved with this and that’s awesome but you know could you do your own project could you launch the the the foreign forest green Rovers or something like that you know something grow up from from scratch do you still

Have any Ambitions to to get involved with a beautiful game you know I’ve started playing football at the age of five years old so football has been my my life footb football has been my my my DNA you know like this is why I am I’ve been a football player I’ve been an

Athlete for for so long so I’m never far away from football I still follow the games we don’t know what tomorrow will be we made made of you know so we never say never but uh so far I’m enjoying what I’m doing I’m very busy but I hope

You know to be able to to to bring more those sustainable you know like initiatives in football because I strongly believe football has this power to change things and to create create a massive awareness it it really does it’s got such a platform and so culturally relevant and resonant and important as

Well Mato it’s been such a delight speaking to you it’s gone by so quick because you’re going to be at the Emirates on Super Sunday for Arsenal against Liverpool enjoy it if you can I don’t know how hard it is to to watch it from the sidelines that is the big game

On Super Sunday