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French Football Federation denounces 'intolerable racism' in Rajoy's comments on national team
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

French Football Federation denounces 'intolerable racism' in Rajoy's comments on national team

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • The French Football Federation (FFF) president criticized former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's remarks about the French national team.
  • Philippe Diallo called Rajoy's comments, which suggested the team lacked French players, "intolerable racism."
  • The FFF and French officials defended the team's diversity and rejected any questioning of the players' nationality.

Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), has strongly condemned remarks made by former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy about the French national team, describing them as carrying an "intolerable whiff of racism."

The words of Mariano Rajoy evoking the French team carry an intolerable whiff of racism.

— Philippe DialloPresident of the French Football Federation, criticizing Rajoy's remarks.

Rajoy, in a column for a digital newspaper, wrote that the French team possesses "a very high level, admittedly, without French people." Diallo responded on social media, denouncing the "detestable climate that generates such odors" and asserting that the team's players do not need "any certificate of nationality from a former Spanish president."

"The French team is the French team," Diallo stated, defending the identity and nationality of the players. The French government echoed these sentiments, with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez calling Rajoy's words "absolutely unacceptable" and "aberrant."

Our players do not have to receive any certificate of nationality from a former Spanish president. The French team is the French team.

— Philippe DialloDefending the nationality and identity of the French national team players.

Nuñez emphasized that the remarks do not reflect "in any way what France is," highlighting the country as a "Republic of diversity" where everyone should find their place. The controversy adds to recent attacks targeting French players based on their origins, notably captain Kylian Mbappé.

The words of Mariano Rajoy evoking the French team carry an intolerable whiff of racism.

— Philippe DialloPresident of the French Football Federation, criticizing Rajoy's remarks.

Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla also faced widespread condemnation in France for questioning Mbappé's African roots. Minister Éléonore Caroit affirmed that regardless of the source, whether a Paraguayan senator or a former Spanish president, all racist attacks against the 'Bleus' are "unacceptable." She concluded firmly, "All the players of the French team are French. Period."

All the players of the French team are French. Period.

— Éléonore CaroitFrench Minister, affirming the nationality of the French team players.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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