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Kelly Cates hosts panel discussion with Shaka Hislop, Clarke Carlisle & Gabriele Marcotti for open and frank discussion of racism and football; Special show will also be available online via ESPNFC.com

***VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPTION AVAILABLE AFTER BROADCAST***

ESPNFC PressPass, the football discussion show that looks daily at the global game with a global perspective, will televise a special edition that examines and discusses the issue of racism in soccer.

Incidents in the English Premier League such as the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra incident last season and the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand affair brought the issue of racism back into the headlines last season. The issue has emerged once again this season amid allegations of racism around England Under 21s’ match against Serbia last month, and, Chelsea’s complaints against referee Mark Clattenburg in an English Premier League match last weekend.

Hosted by ESPN presenter Kelly Cates, the show will feature discussion and debate from a panel including ex-West Ham and Newcastle goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, English Professional Footballers’ Association chairman Clarke Carlisle, and renowned ESPNFC journalist and ESPN pundit Gabriele Marcotti.

Ahead of the show, Hislop told ESPN:
“Racism in football continues to dominate the headlines. In moving the game forward, a frank and honest discussion is what is most needed right now. I am honoured to be a part of what we hope will be a significant contribution to that.”

The show will discuss and debate topical points around the issue, including:

– Why has the issue returned to the headlines?

– How does racism in football compare across the soccer world?

– What are UEFA and FIFA doing to tackle it, and what should they be doing?

– Discussion of the English Professional Footballers’ Association’s six-point plan to address racism in soccer.

– Is affirmative action – often referenced in the game as the Rooney Rule – a correct and/or needed response?

– Is the media coverage of racism in soccer exaggerating the problem?

ESPNFC PressPass broadcasts six nights a week and features panellists and contributors from around the world of soccer – including Frank LeBoeuf, Steve Nicol, Shaka Hislop, Robbie Mustoe, Jorge Ramos, Gabriele Marcotti and more. It brings fans up to date with all the latest news, as well as providing insights into the games that were, the games that will be and strategies and personalities in world soccer. ESPNFC is the sports media company’s recently-launched multi-platform, multi-language and multi-country global football brand.