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Rajoy 'embarrasses Spain' with 'xenophobic' comments on French football team, says Sánchez
🇲🇽 Mexico /Sports

Rajoy 'embarrasses Spain' with 'xenophobic' comments on French football team, says Sánchez

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for alleged "xenophobic" remarks about the French national football team.
  • Rajoy, in a newspaper column, commented on the French team's success, noting it was achieved "without French people."
  • Sánchez and other government officials condemned Rajoy's comments, calling them "shameful" and contrary to Spain's values.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has publicly condemned former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, accusing him of embarrassing Spain with "xenophobic" statements about the French national football team. Rajoy, in a column for El Debate, commented on France's success in the World Cup, noting their high level of play but adding, "That's right, without French people."

Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who embarrass it with xenophobic declarations.

— Pedro SánchezPrime Minister Pedro Sánchez's response on social media to Mariano Rajoy's comments.

Sánchez responded on social media, stating, "Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who embarrass it with xenophobic declarations." He contrasted this with those who measure belonging by "last name, place of birth, or skin color," versus those who measure it by "attachment to a country and the will to contribute to it."

Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares echoed Sánchez's sentiment, calling Rajoy's comment "hurtful and dangerous" and stating, "It is not Spain." He emphasized that all French citizens are friends and partners, and warned that "PP's sabotage will not prevent the Treaty of Friendship with France." The Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, further criticized Rajoy, labeling him a "corrupt post-Francoist blockhead" and suggesting his comments were predictably racist.

Hurtful and dangerous. Everything that covers up racism and xenophobia is despicable. It is not Spain.

— José Manuel AlbaresSpain's Foreign Minister commenting on Rajoy's remarks.

The controversy highlights a political divide in Spain regarding national identity and immigration, with the government firmly rejecting Rajoy's remarks as divisive and harmful to international relations.

The next week we will play against France in the semifinals [...] Without going into further details, we must not forget that France has been world champion twice and a finalist in the last edition. It has won all the matches it has played in this World Cup and occupies the first position in the FIFA ranking. It also has a squad of the highest level. That's right, without French people. And it is playing very well. They will be a formidable opponent.

— Mariano RajoyExcerpt from Mariano Rajoy's column in El Debate that sparked the controversy.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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