2023-12-15 21:27:38
The former coach of the local club was on trial this Friday, December 15 in Nice, accused of having targeted black or Muslim players. He firmly contests, criticizing “false” or “distorted” remarks.
The sidelines seem very far away for Christophe Galtier. It is that of the defendants that the former coach of OGC Nice joined this Friday, December 15. The coach is accused of discrimination and harassment before the Nice criminal court. In a lengthy hearing, the court delved into 75 minutes, between fixations on Ramadan and reflections on the number of “blacks and Arabs” within the team. As on the pitch, eleven players from the 2021-2022 season are mentioned as well as certain members of the staff – all absent. “There are false statements, there are distorted statements,” Galtier fiercely defends at the bar. Without really convincing. The prosecution requested 12 months of suspended imprisonment, a fine of 45,000 euros and ineligibility for 3 years.
The affair begins in the RMC After Foot show in September 2022. Behind the microphone, the former general director of OGC Nice, Julien Fournier, discusses the causes of his disagreement with Christophe Galtier. “If I explain the real reasons, Christophe will no longer enter a locker room either in France or in Europe,” he asserts. We will have to wait six months, still on the radio, to reveal the draft of an email written by Julien Fournier to his superior at Ineos, owner of OGC Nice. During a meeting on August 9, 2021, Galtier allegedly made “completely unacceptable remarks.” In particular: “We cannot have a team that does not resemble me and that does not resemble the city,” Julien Fournier reports to the police. We must be aware of the city in which we live, we are in the city of Jacques Médecin [maire de Nice de 1966 à 1990, ndlr]. We can’t have that many blacks and Arabs on the team.” The prosecution takes the matter without complaint. On April 13, the police began the investigation for discrimination.
“He would have liked not to have Muslims”
Christophe Galtier, 57, drops the vest to dodge each accusation. Yes, he heard this “kind of remarks” at the restaurant in Nice, which he “never” heard when he was coaching in Lille or Saint-Etienne. But to say that there are too many Muslims? “It’s wrong.” Stating that it is unacceptable to have a reserve coach converted to Islam? “It’s wrong.” Invite to vote National gathering? “It’s wrong.” Calling a Muslim player who does not break the fast on a match day an extremist? “It’s distorted.” All these comments would have been made sometimes in his “open-space office”, sometimes in the parking lot, sometimes on the edge of the field. Never, cries Galtier. The coach would have encouraged his players during a match to attack against “the two King Kongs”, to speak of two defenders of color. “I remember. I hesitated to say hounds, argues the former OGCN coach. For me it’s strength, it’s power. There is no meaning of race.”
The most talkative in front of the investigators is Frédéric Gioria. Galtier’s former deputy opens up: “He would have liked not to have Muslims on the team. He didn’t tell me, but you could tell he was irritated by it.” The transfer window sets the pace for mid-season. Regarding recruitment, the assistant reportedly heard the coach say: “Another Muslim, I don’t want one, we’ve had enough.” Up to the transfer of undesirables to other clubs or their exclusion for matches: choices guided by ideology or performance? Difficult to demonstrate. Fasting causes “30% drop in performance,” indicates the medical director of PSG, Dr Hakim Chalabi, a witness cited by the defense. There is a risk to performance and an increase in muscle injuries. This notion is never discussed. It’s a taboo subject even though it’s a health subject.”
“This file is wind”
It was in August 2021 that Christophe Galtier took charge of the Nice locker room. A mixed season for the holder of the French champion title, obtained the year before with Losc: certainly a qualification in the Europa League but a fifth place in the championship, certainly a Coupe de France final but lost to In Nantes. From the pre-season training camp, relations became strained between Galtier and Fournier. They will only fester. “It’s a big manipulation on the part of this gentleman,” Galtier rages at the helm. It’s terrible to tell such lies with the consequences that it can have.” The investigators did not carry out a confrontation between the two men, an essential point noted by the defense for the request for a declaration of nullity on the merits. At the same time, Galtier filed a complaint for slanderous denunciation. After a season at PSG, he now manages the Qatari club Al-Duhail. For three months, he and his children have been living under close protection due to a “bombardment of messages and threats”.
For his lawyer Mr Schapira, “this file is wind, it’s rumors, it’s rumour”. Word against word. “So that Muslim players could be at prayer time, I brought forward the training time and gave permission not to have lunch,” defends Galtier. I just told them to leave with their take-away. They could attend Friday prayers.” The decision has been reserved and will be rendered next Thursday.
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