Former Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, has faced accusations of racism from prominent French politicians after stating that the French national team “lacks any French players.”
Rajoy, who led the Spanish government from 2011 to 2018, expressed this opinion in a column for the Spanish publication El Debate, ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final clash between the two countries.
“Currently, they hold the top position in the FIFA rankings and possess a high-caliber squad. Nevertheless, they do not feature any French players, yet they are performing exceptionally well,” he wrote on July 10.
On Sunday, France’s interior minister, Laurent Nunez, labeled Rajoy’s remarks as “completely unacceptable.” Upon hearing Rajoy’s statement during an interview on BFM TV in France, he denounced the comments, stating: “That doesn’t reflect France at all. France is a diverse nation where everyone can thrive and find their place.”
Olivier Faure, leader of France’s Socialist Party, reacted to Rajoy’s column on social media: “The French team is made up entirely of French individuals. France is not an ethnic nation; it has no specific skin color or religion. It is a political entity unified by the republican motto, much to the dismay of the racist right.”
Naima Moutchou, the minister for overseas territories in France, also criticized Rajoy’s comments: “After every victory for France, the same obsessions and racist insults emerge. These are not mere slips; this represents a systematic and normalized hatred of France and its essence.”
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Moutchou also urged the France Football Federation (FFF) to pursue legal action regarding the comments.
Rajoy’s remarks have also sparked backlash in Spain. The country’s transport minister, Oscar Puente, referred to Rajoy as a “post-Francoist fool” and questioned his reputation as a “moderate.”
Additionally, the French embassy in Madrid stated: “Without aiming to enter into a controversy, it’s important to recall the facts: all players in the French national team are French. Of the 26 players, 23 were born in France, while the three born abroad are also French.”
The French newspaper Le Monde published an editorial labeling Rajoy’s statements as “racist.” They noted: “Since the tournament commenced, the French national team has been subjected to several racist attacks.”
Earlier this week, the Paraguayan Senate passed a motion denouncing “the discriminatory and racist remarks” made by senator Celeste Amarilla towards France captain Kylian Mbappe.
The 61-year-old attorney referred to the French striker as a “colonized Cameroonian” following the World Cup round of 16 match between the two nations on July 4.
She had previously criticized Mbappe on social media, sharing a post featuring the striker celebrating in front of Paraguay’s goalkeeper Orlando Gill: “That brute never learned to write. Instead of breast milk, he nursed on coconuts, and the most educated beings he ever heard were chimpanzees.”
Mbappe labeled Amarilla’s comments as “despicable” and “racist.”
