The Galtier case and the accusations of racism against the Parisian coach continue to make people talk. During the press conference before the PSG-Lens on Saturday evening, which can be decisive in the fight for the title of champion, the artesian coach Franck Haise was of course questioned on the subject.
The blood and gold technician, after refusing to say too much, finally delivered his feelings on the case. “I am not here to judge anything because I do not have the elements, he cautiously advanced. If some have elements… What I know and what I read is that there are two opposing versions. That’s the first thing. »
Haise then launched into a beautiful plea for tolerance. “Christophe Galtier, he has been in high-level football for more than 35 years and I, who have also been following it for a long time, had never heard of this, he continued. The second thing is that sport, and football in particular, is a place of unity, of social, cultural and religious diversity, of openness, of tolerance, and that must remain so. It is perhaps one of the last places where it must always remain so. So it has to stay that way. »
The Lensois coach does not believe that the turmoil surrounding his colleague, and dating back to when he led OGC Nice, will have any influence on the Parisian locker room. “I don’t think it will change much because we are dealing with great professional players,” he said. I don’t think it will change much in their game. »
Present in the capital at the headquarters of the FFF to present the new federal project around women’s football, Jean-Michel Aulas does not hide his surprise and his emotion. “I am very shocked and very sorry for Christophe, whom I know personally, reacted the president of Lyon. He almost coached OL a little over two years ago. We were unhappy that he didn’t choose our club at the time (Editor’s note: he preferred to choose Nice). I can’t imagine such things, but it’s not for me to judge. We see things happening in the public square that are so different from what we advocate in football everywhere. »
On the side of Rennes, Bruno Genesio has already sent a text message of sympathy to Galtier. “What I can say is that I know Christophe well. I never heard him have the words that are attributed to him today, insisted the Breton technician. I have the opportunity to see him in football and outside of football and I have never heard him say things like that. Now if people come out with things like that, they have to talk about it. But I find that today, all I have to say is that I never heard him say that kind of thing. Neither privately nor with other people. »
John Valovic-Galtier, agent and adopted son of the PSG coach, denies all suspicions of racial or religious discrimination against him. “Thank you all for your support,” he wrote. The accusations against me are false and intolerable. They will not remain without consequences”.
The Galtier family has been in turmoil since the revelation of an email sent by Julien Fournier, former sports director from Nice, to the management of the Riviera club, in which he mentioned racist remarks made in his office.
“Christophe Galtier then arrived in my office and greeted his son who said to me: You can check with my father what I told you, reported Fournier, then cold with the duo. Once his agent/son left, I told Christophe about the discussion I had just had and asked him if it was all true. He then answered me that yes and that I had to take into account the reality “of the city” and that indeed we could not have so many Blacks and Muslims in the team”.