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Arsenal's French international Thierry Henry launched a campaign against racism entitled "Stand up, Speak up," which aims to make supporters aware of the need to stamp out the problem in football.

Henry had been the subject of racist abuse from Spain's national coach, Luis Aragones, made to one of his players and Henry's Arsenal team-mate Jose Antonio Reyes.

Henry said: "After the recent problems, especially the one with Aragones and the monkeys chants heard during Spain versus England (November 17), I wanted to react.

"Lots of players, like Ronaldinho, have been shocked by those stories. Something needed to be done. It won't perhaps change anything, but doing nothing won't change anything either. Things can change.

"When someone told me (about Aragones' comments), I thought it was a joke but then I heard it on the TV. I reckon he should have been punished more severely by the authorities.

"There is a proverb I like: I forgive but I never forget."

Several initiatives surround this campaign. Two and a half million black and white bracelets are being sold around Europe from February 6, priced two Euros with proceeds going to charity, to raise awareness of the need to stop racism.

Also the national teams of Holland, Portugal, and Russia will play their next friendly matches in special black and white shirts. There will also be a lot of publicity in each of the countries, featuring Henry and Barcelona's Brazilian star Ronaldinho.

Certain countries have representatives on the initiative: Claude Makelele and Philippe Mexes for France, Rio Ferdinand and Ruud van Nistelrooy for England, Adriano and Fabio Cannavaro for Italy, Roberto Carlos and Carles Puyol for Spain, and Otto Addo and Christoph Metzelder for Germany.

Meanwhile FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on January 3 he intended to nominate Henry as an ambassador against racism.

Henry said in Friday's France Football magazine: "If it's really his intention, it's something I would be very proud of and a role I would accept with pleasure."
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