Morten Thorsby has decided to exchange his number eighteen for number two at Sampdoria. That jersey number is usually assigned to right backs, but the midfielder wants to use that number to raise awareness about climate problems. The two symbolize the goal of the Paris climate agreement to keep global temperature change below two degrees Celsius.
Known as an environmental activist, Thorsby is the founder of the organization We Play Green, which football players and clubs can join. “Meaningfulness is something I struggled with as a teenager. I had to perform in football and wanted to be better than everyone else, but at the same time I wondered what I was actually doing,” said the midfielder in podcast BroPod. “There is a major climate crisis and I play football. That doesn’t rhyme with me.”
“I even doubted whether I wanted to continue playing football,” continues Thorsby. “In a conversation with my parents, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to use my life to fight for what is important. The best I can do is to be the best I can be at football and keep talking about these important things.” That’s why he founded We Play Green. “It’s about consciousness. That people are aware of every choice they make.”
“For me the best thing is to keep playing football and keep talking about these kinds of important topics.” Thorsby, 25, was eighteen when he left Norway for a five-year contract with sc Heerenveen. In the summer of 2019, he signed a free transfer with Sampdoria, the club where he is in his third season. In his first two years he came to sixty official duels.
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