Former Juventus defender Lilian Thuram has hit back at former Inter Milan man, Marco Materazzi for comparing the on-field abuse he suffered to racism.

The Italian had previously said he didn’t see Thuram offer to leave the pitch when his mum was insulted.

Thuram says his reply shows why he emphasises everyone should get themselves educated about racism.

He explains that getting your parent insulted could happen to anyone regardless of the colour of their skin, but racism means you are being treated as a different person and that hurts.

Materazzi certainly doesn’t understand what discrimination is for making such a comparison and Thuram insists he needs to get himself educated on it.

Thuram said at the Turin Book Fair as quoted by Calciomercato: “What do I answer? Materazzi of great personality? It’s you who say this. You chose this word. I didn’t choose it. 

“The World Cup has nothing to do with it. Nice or not, let’s talk about something of importance: He makes it clear that he doesn’t know what discrimination is. 

“That’s why I say you have to educate the players. If someone insults you son of a bitch, it remains an insult against you. at the game, these kids take it for them . If you tell someone ‘son of …’, you don’t take it personally. You go out, go around and do it with your color. 

“Racism is serious: attack self-esteem It is difficult when you are seen as a different one. When analyzing Materazzi’s answer, you have to analyze very well, you need to be very clear: for me you don’t understand, you are wrong. I would tell him: take some books, learn, understand. You’re making comparisons that have nothing to do with it. Think it’s right. At that point he didn’t understand the violence of discrimination, maybe he won’t do anything. They will never say to leave the field, to answer. There are books and you have to learn to understand things.”

Racism has become a major problem in Italian football recently, with fans now abusing players every other match week.

Authorities are hard at work trying to ensure it stops and public figures like Materazzi have to show they know exactly what it means to everyone that suffers abuse.