Laure Boulleau launches Contrepied against violence with Drogba and Wenger by her side

Laure Boulleau has officially launched Contrepied, an association aimed at combating physical and verbal violence in football, with Arsène Wenger and Didier Drogba among the members of its board of directors.

A consultant and regular observer of both the pitch and the studio, Boulleau says she has witnessed a growing normalization of incivility, affecting players, referees and parents in both professional and amateur football. “In recent years, I have seen and commented on too many behaviours that have no place in football. When parents tell me they hesitate to enroll their child, I tell myself it’s time to take action,” she said.

The association structures its work around three pillars: raising public awareness, preventing incivility through educational tools for young people, educators and parents, and fostering new solutions through an Ideas Lab that identifies inspiring initiatives in France and internationally.

Didier Drogba’s presence on the board gives particular resonance to the initiative. In June 2020, during a FIFA global campaign, the former striker already declared: “It is time to say no. No to racism, no to violence, no to discrimination in football and in our daily lives. Football must unite, not divide.” Drogba’s commitment comes despite a personal episode: in 2008, during a Chelsea match against Burnley, he responded to a coin thrown from the stands by throwing the projectile back, a gesture that earned him a disciplinary sanction.

With Contrepied, Boulleau intends to “preserve what makes this sport strong: the joy of playing, respect and passing it on”.