2023-12-16 14:10:31
Youcef Atal, OGC Nice player, is summoned before the judges on Monday for provoking hatred. He shared a video calling for a “black day” for Jews, after the bloody Hamas attack and the start of Israel’s bombing of Gaza on October 7.
His name already resonated Friday in the courtroom of the Nice criminal court, where his former coach Christophe Galtier was on trial for harassment and discrimination, mainly against the Muslims on the team.
But on Monday, from 1:30 p.m., the 27-year-old Algerian international defender will no longer be a witness but warned. On the civil side, Licra (International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism) and the Jewish Observatory of France.
A few days after the unprecedented attack launched by Hamas in Israel at the beginning of October and the start of Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip, and while he was in Algeria with the “Fennecs” national team, Youcef Atal shared to his 3.2 million subscribers on Instagram the two-faced video of a preacher, Mahmoud Al Hasanat.
In the first extracts, which AFP was able to view, the preacher, moved to tears, evokes the fate of the children of Gaza. Then, in a final extract, he calls on God to send “a dark day on the Jews” and to “accompany the hand” of the inhabitants of Gaza if they “throw the stone”, according to the prosecution.
Several political leaders immediately denounced this publication and the player quickly deleted it with an apology. But, contacted by the prefect and the mayor of Nice, the public prosecutor, Damien Martinelli, opened a preliminary investigation on October 16.
Initially, it also targeted the leader of the apology for terrorism. After examining the video and following a hearing with the player, who was placed in police custody on November 23 and 24, the courts finally found only incitement to hatred on grounds of religion.
Since then, Atal has been under judicial control, with a bail of 80,000 euros and a ban on leaving the national territory, except for reasons linked to his activity as a professional footballer.
But this activity is currently reduced. From the start of the scandal, “given the nature of the shared publication and its seriousness”, Nice suspended its player “until further notice”.
Nice wants to transfer him
The disciplinary committee of the Professional Football League then formalized the sanction by imposing a seven-match suspension on Atal, which will end after the reception of Lens on Wednesday during the 17th day of Ligue 1.
Theoretically, Atal could therefore return to the Nice jersey on January 6 for the Coupe de France match against Auxerre. His coach Francesco Farioli suggested at a press conference that it was possible, but the club seems to want to take advantage of the winter transfer window to get rid of this new thorn in the side. Turkish clubs would be interested.
Atal indeed retains credit outside France: he started with the Algerian team in October and again for the two World Cup qualifying matches played in November.
Several of his teammates in the selection also gave him their support, recalling his apologies and ensuring that he had not watched the video until the end before replaying it.
#Nice #Youcef #Atal #Monday #provocation #hatred