2023-06-30 12:20:29
Future ex-PSG coach Christophe Galtier and his son were taken into custody on Friday for “suspicions of racial and religious discrimination”.
An endless fall. Coach Christophe Galtier, pending departure from Paris-Saint-Germain, is in police custody this Friday, June 30. He is currently being heard by the judicial police in Nice, with his son, player agent John Valovic. Xavier Bonhomme, the public prosecutor of Nice, told AFP that the father and son have been “in custody at the Nice judicial police since 8:45 a.m. Friday”. Contacted by AFP, Me Olivier Martin, Christophe Galtier’s lawyer, did not respond immediately.
A preliminary investigation was opened in mid-April for suspicion of “discrimination based on an alleged race or affiliation to a religion” after accusations against Christophe Galtier, ex-coach of OGC Nice. Christophe Galtier is suspected of having made discriminatory, racist and Islamophobic remarks during his year at the head of the Côte d’Azur club (2021-2022).
Back to the case
In an e-mail addressed to the management of the Nice club and revealed by the independent journalist Romain Molina then the radio RMC, which AFP could not authenticate, the club’s former director of football Julien Fournier, with whom Galtier maintained execrable relations, had in particular reported these remarks attributed to the PSG coach: “he then replied 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” and “he told me of his desire to change the team in depth, also specifying that he wanted to limit the number of Muslim players as much as possible”.
Galtier had reacted after the outbreak of the case in mid-April: “I am deeply shocked by the words that I am given, relayed by some in an irresponsible way.” He had for his part filed a complaint on April 21 for death threats and defamation against Julien Fournier and two journalists, his lawyer Olivier Martin had indicated.
As part of the investigation for suspicion of discrimination, Julien Fournier told AFP on May 22 that he had been “heard”, refusing to comment further. Several Nice players and leaders, such as club president Jean-Pierre Rivère, as well as ex-coach Didier Digard, were also heard by the investigators.
The public prosecutor of Nice said Friday morning that he would say more “by press release at the end of the day”.
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