Two Daughters Of Ex-Footballers Have Breakfast In Milan
Lina Giselle Murillo, 27, is gorgeous, smart, determined, and transparent. She oozes positivity and has a golden halo. Many might recognise her from the signature freckles that launched her on the path to becoming the most sought after, new face of street casting in Milan’s fashion circles, but ‘model’ is not a label she accepts. In fact, she’s seeking to break free of the title that put her on the map as she has different plans for her future. Born and raised in different Colombian cities up to the age of 17, her family then relocated to North-East Italy at the end of her father, and former Once Caldas striker, Jairo Murillo’s fractured football career 11 years ago.
I met Lina for breakfast at what might be the most Instagrammed cafè in Milan, Fondazione Prada’s Bar Luce. The location, designed by Wes Anderson, offered an even more dystopian atmosphere than usual. The tables were distanced and guests prohibited to sit directly next to each other. I had to speak to her from the other end of the table and it felt very bourgeois, as the waiters catered to us in white gloves and impeccably starched shirts courtesy of Miuccia.
Lina Giselle Murillo
I hadn’t had dinner the night prior to my rendez-vous with Lina, so she caught me rudely stuffing my face with a freshly baked apricot croissant as she approached the pale green Formica table I was occupying. Her natural glow mixed with the fire red, pleated dress she was wearing, and the architectural context of our surroundings struck me remarkably. Her waist-long box braids swung as she removed her surgical mask. Her wholesomeness was so hypnotic that I broke all rules and immediately stood up to hug and greet her, careless of the thin glass I was walking on due to the pandemic.
It was refreshing to be able to finally discuss what it is like to grow up in a football household with somebody that has a similar background, interests, and approach to life. For those who don’t know yet, I got my foot into the football scene early. My father played for all kinds of Italian teams, including a short stint at FC Inter. Though, our experience as women in a world divided by racial biases led us down two different paths of self-awareness. I will never be able to walk in her shoes and I have had my fair share of stereotypes thrown at me (mafia jokes, hair comments, anger issues, and so on) as a Sicilian living in a country where North and South are deeply disconnected and discriminate against each other.
I was aware of Lina’s consciousness and advocacy as a black Latina as I had been following her on Instagram for quite a while. However, during our meeting, I had the chance to explore her background and aspirations in a way I could have never done without sitting at a table with her. Eager to talk, Lina told me all about her upbringing and her thoughts on current affairs with a thick Spanish accent and a heavy rolling ‘R’ that was music to my ears.
Our conversation, held in loud Italian and complemented by frantic hand gestures, went a little something like this.
Naomi Accardi: Hi Lina, thank you for meeting me here. Tell me about your background: where were you born and what is your connection to football?
Lina Giselle Murillo: I was born and raised in Colombia but due to my father’s football career, we changed city every year so I don’t really have roots in any particular place. I never had a childhood home like many might have. I changed school every year, so my friendships were also interchangeable for a while. Football was part of my upbringing since before I can remember, it actually shaped my childhood but I never really understood my father was a footballer until after he quit. Even though he always brought me to his games and included me in the team pictures.
During quarantine, I was able to sit down and talk to my parents about my dad’s experience with football and I discovered facts I was never aware of. He really had to fight to play football. In the 80s, going pro in Colombia wasn’t as easy as it may be now. There was no internet or VHS tapes. He started playing at Deportivo Cali’s football academy and after a series of struggles, during which he met my mom, he finally found a spot at Once Caldas where he opened the doors for all that came after thanks to his kind manners.
Fast forward to the end of his career around 1995, he started working for the government as a youth football coach. But as that gig was too unstable, my parents decided to move to Italy to grant me and my younger sister a better future.
Naomi Accardi: How old were you when your dad quit playing? Do you recall what the experience as the daughter of a professional footballer was like in Colombia?
Lina Giselle Murillo: I was eight or nine. I remember the times he was not at home because of pre-game retreat as, usually, he was extremely present. We used to party a lot as well, my dad’s second passion is salsa. He was fairly well behaved but he definitely loved to party so there was lots of that in my youth.
The biggest memory is definitely the fact that some days he would not be there because he was the one to take me to school, do my hair.. although I hated it! Can you imagine a man styling my afro hair? I definitely didn’t think much of it back then, now I am starting to look into his story more because it’s so interesting.
“The biggest memory is definitely the fact that some days he would not be there because he was the one to take me to school, do my hair.. although I hated it! Can you imagine a man styling my afro hair?”
Naomi Accardi: Has your father ever faced any racial aggressions during his career?
Lina Giselle Murillo: When he didn’t play well, they used to scream racial slurs at him. All the usual stuff. To be fair, I never directly asked him if he experienced anything more systemic like pay gaps as a result of being Black or so on. From the fans though, yes.
Naomi Accardi: Have you felt any difference between Colombia and Italy in terms of racism or discrimination?
Lina Giselle Murillo: Absolutely. Colombia is extremely racist. “White” is considered better there and the divide is pretty extreme. Both of my parents come from the Chocò area, where 90 percent of the population is of African descent or Black, and it’s the poorest region in the country. It’s very segregated there. I was always the only Black kid everywhere, especially because, thanks to my dad, we lived in gated communities and what was considered wealthy neighbourhoods.
Being Black has a negative connotation in the Colombian mind. This indoctrination of laziness and immediate danger even affected my parents as they unconsciously follow this belief [they have been conditioned to think that black people are lazy and dangerous etc]. I have been trying to talk with them and explain why this exists, it’s above us [systemic racism, segregation, oppression] and we cannot let it influence our perception. There’s a reason behind the stereotype and it’s not our fault. People are pushed to seek criminal lifestyles to survive and counter the exploitation of their environment by foreign companies for gold and diamonds.
I always felt discriminated against because I was black, with freckles and a little chubby... so growing up was complex. There was a time when I struggled with self-confidence. I hated my parents for being Black. I resented my mom (who is also Black) for marrying a Black man so imagine the pressure I felt to fit into those beauty standards as a child. I started to straighten my hair at eight years old.
On the other hand, in Italy, I experience a different type of racism. It’s not about aesthetics because people consider me beautiful here, I guess because I am different. It’s more about being ‘foreign’, extra EU. People often ignore the fact that Black people are not a monolith. We come from all different countries. People mistake me for Brazilian or Cuban, they never believe I can be from Colombia.
Italy’s racism is more covert. It’s about what you are able to achieve and have as a foreigner. They accept you until you have more than the average Italian. Due to how the media portrays Colombians, of course people have stupid jokes about Narcos or Scarface. Lots of prejudices. It really depends on the kind of scene you are into though. Italy has opened the path for my own self-awareness. I came in contact with different cultures which led me to want to reconnect with my own roots and be proud of them.
Naomi Accardi: How have the last months affected your life?
Lina Giselle Murillo: Well just before the lockdown started, I had finally relocated to Milan to pursue my career in fashion communications. The pandemic kind of messed that up and I ended up quarantining back at my parent’s house in Monfalcone. All in all, it turned out to be a magical experience. I was able to bond with my father and sister on a level we had never done. As I mentioned earlier, my dad is extremely passionate about music and salsa, so during the shelter in place we started practicing with typical instruments and I recorded the process.
I was also able to speak to him unfiltered. We discussed his life as a footballer and I was able to ask many questions I had never before. I could get in touch with my history and reconnect with him. What was his experience becoming a parent… everything.
Naomi Accardi: Does football influence you to this day?
Lina Giselle Murillo: Sport, in general, was always part of my life, not only football. I have practiced many different disciplines from roller skating to gymnastics and then settled on basketball. What I love about it and appreciate is mainly team play, the synchronicity with your mates. It helped me in my relationships with people. From my dad and his relationship with football, I admire the resilience and dedication. To this day he’s extremely disciplined. He trains every day even if he doesn’t have to.
During the quarantine, I picked up on it and started following his pace. I admire his athletic spirit and I am inspired by it. It’s a lifestyle.
“There was a time when I struggled with self-confidence. I hated my parents for being Black. I resented my mom (who is also Black) for marrying a Black man so imagine the pressure I felt to fit into those beauty standards as a child.”
Naomi Accardi: Do you support any particular team?
Lina Giselle Murillo: No. I never really pledged allegiance to one particular club. When I lived in Colombia I was into Nacional but more as a passive supporter. In high school, I had a friend that was a die-hard Boca Juniors fan, and she kind of influenced me so I started watching all the games but it didn’t last long.
Naomi Accardi: What are your aspirations for the future?
Lina Giselle Murillo: My goal is to work on projects that raise awareness towards injustice, discrimination, self-confidence, and concretely challenge the status quo in order to create equal opportunities and access for the less privileged. Many people talk, not enough act. The system is the same since before I was even born. So I want to make real change through whatever line of work I end up following.
I also don’t want to be labeled as an expert of something because I am much more than a model, or a content creator. I want to get back into writing and I want to learn how to engineer music. Lastly, I am aware of myself but I am also extremely self-conscious so I need to emerge out of this insecurity and become the best, most confident version of myself… but I am on the right path.
Words Naomi Accardi
Images Lina Giselle Murillo