Former Spain PM criticised for ‘xenophobic’ remark on French World Cup team
Summary
Former Spain Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the French national football team had "no French players," a remark that sparked criticism in Spain and France. Many leaders and officials called the comment xenophobic and racist, emphasizing that the team’s players are French by birth or nationality.Key Facts
- Mariano Rajoy made the comment in an opinion article before Spain’s World Cup semifinal against France.
- Spain’s current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the remark xenophobic and rejected judging people by birth or skin color.
- Spain’s Transport Minister also criticized Rajoy’s statement harshly.
- French politicians, including Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, condemned the comment as unacceptable.
- French Communist leader compared it to another racist remark made about Kylian Mbappe, a French star player.
- France’s anti-discrimination minister said sport should judge players only by talent, not race.
- The French embassy highlighted that most players were born in France and all are French citizens.
- The president of the French Football Federation said the comment had a racist undertone.
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