PSG coach Christophe Galtier is accused of having made racist remarks when he was in charge of OGC Nice. He denies and announces to file a complaint against his three accusers. Paris assured him of its full support.
Christophe Galtier in turmoil. Already in difficulty sportingly after the setbacks of PSG in the Champions League and in L1, he is now at the centre of a case of racism after the leak of documents dating from his visit to Nice last season.
A preliminary investigation has been opened for suspicion of “discrimination based on alleged race or affiliation to a religion” after the accusations aimed at former OGC Nice coach and current PSG coach Christophe Galtier, said friday april 14 the Nice prosecutor on Twitter.
This investigation entrusted to the judicial police is “in connection” with the accusations against Christophe Galtier, confirmed Xavier Bonhomme to AFP, adding that searches “are in progress within the premises of OGC Nice” and confirming initial information from Nice Matin.
• What is reproached to Christophe Galtier
The 56-year-old technician has been facing a growing controversy since the evening of Tuesday April 11 and the publication, by the independent journalist Romain Molina on YouTube, then the media RMC Sports, of an email attributed to the former director of the OGC Nice, Julien Fournier. It is reported there remarks deemed to be discriminatory Christophe Galtier about part of the Nice locker room.
Christophe Galtier’s son, John Valovic-Galtier, who works as a sports adviser, reportedly expressed his father’s resentment to Julien Fournier towards a team composed mainly of “blacks and Muslims”. This opinion would have been assumed by Christophe Galtier during an exchange with Julien Fournier in which he reported criticism from supporters about the number of black players in the team and asked that the reality of the city be taken into account.
“We are in the city of Jacques Médecin and our team does not correspond to what people want, as it does not correspond to me”, would also have affirmed the current coach of PSG.
This message, which AFP could not authenticate, was sent at the end of last season to Dave Brailsford, Sport Director at Ineos, the petrochemical group that owns the Nice club, to denounce racist and Islamophobic statements in as part of membership building or group management.
• His defense
Christophe Galtier, who moved from Nice to PSG last summer, “learned with amazement of the insulting and defamatory remarks of Mr. Julien Fournier against him”, said his lawyer, Mr.e Olivier Martin, in a statement sent Wednesday afternoon to AFP.
“Given the seriousness of the charges against him, which he disputes with the greatest firmness, Christophe Galtier immediately seized his lawyer (…) to initiate, without delay, the necessary legal proceedings which are necessary and this especially since since this disclosure, he has been the subject of intolerable threats and acts of harassment”, is it still written.
PSG placed him under protection because of the threats, his lawyer said.
The subject of the charges was discussed during the traditional pre-match press conference on the eve of the clash against RC Lens.
“I am deeply shocked by the words that have been attributed to me and which have been relayed by some in an irresponsible way, which strike me in the depths of my humanity”, reacted the coach. “I am a child of the HLM housing estates brought up in a mixed race, brought up in respect for others regardless of origin, color or religion, continued Christophe Galtier. My whole life as a man has been dictated by the concern for sharing and living well with others. I cannot accept that my name and my family are smeared in this way”.
• In delicacy with the supporters of OGC Nice
On the Côte-d’Azur, the native of Marseilles hoisted the Aiglons to fifth place in the championship and in the final of the Coupe de France, lost to Nantes. His short term, however, was made complicated by difficult relations with Julien Fournier.
Last Saturday, Christophe Galtier was the target of insulting chants from the stands of the Allianz Riviera during the trip from PSG to Nice in the league. The former Nice coach was profusely whistled at the announcement of the teams, then saw a banner “Before / After, the mama di Galtier” deployed by the Tribune Populaire Sud during the first period, accompanied by a song insulting the technician’s mother.
After the information was disseminated, the ultras of La Populaire Sud issued a scathing press release. “Christophe, when you have a dirty ass, making waves brings shit up,” can we read in this press release, implying that their actions during the game were related to the revelations.
OGC Nice, where Galtier and Fournier were working at the time, also reacted via a succinct press release: “The facts reported concern two people no longer working for OGC Nice. This situation was treated with the utmost seriousness at the time of the facts. The club will not make any further comments”, said know the Riviera club.
• Paris attentive but supports its coach
Christophe Galtier’s press conference has openede by an announcement from Julien Maynard, the PSG communication manager:
“The club supports Christophe Galtier and wants the truth to be established by justice. PSG calls on everyone to assume their responsibilities and to calm down,” he said.
However, internally, we are monitoring the situation closely. According to information from RMC sports, the management of PSG does not want to rush or panic. Well aware that two words will clash, the entourage of the president of the club, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, has launched an investigation internal .
If the facts are proven and “if he had known, Galtier could never have signed for PSG, impossible”, we explain in the entourage of the Qatari. To understand what the coach will leave s’iThere is the slightest bit of truth in the revelations.
• Support from former players
“I had a lot of unpleasant messages, but also other positive ones. I received public support from players, managers, coaches and on my private messaging too. I appreciate these messages in this difficult context but you always have to pay attention to public remarks when a case, an attack like that happens,” said Christophe Galtier during his press conference.
His former striker in Lille, the Turkish Burak Yilmaz, supported him on Wednesday on social networks: “I worked with Galtier and I never perceived the slightest negative behavior on his part because of my religion or my nationality. “.
Galtier player in Saint-Étienne, Mevlut Erding also wanted to speak about his former coach: “Christophe Galtier is a very good friend of mine before being a coach and I have known him for almost 15 years. “I worked with him for four or five years, whether at Sochaux or Saint-Étienne. I didn’t feel any racism from him, testifies the former striker with dual Franco-Turkish nationality and Muslim faith. even I was doing Ramadan when I was under his orders and I can tell you that he left us the choice, he respected it. There was really no racism, “he said. entrusts to L‘Crew.
Bruno Genesio, the Rennes coach, also went thereIt is of his little word: “Ce What I mean is that I know Christophe well, I’ve never heard him say the words that are attributed to him today. Now, if people say things like that, they have to talk about it, but I’ve never heard him say that. I have the opportunity to see him in football, outside of football, and I have never heard him say things like that.”
On the side of the OGC Nice bench, Didier Digard affirms that “the truth will eventually come out”, preferring to add nothing to the statements of the club. He asked the players not to comment on the subject but, according to information from L’Équipesome players present in the workforce of the Aiglons under the orders of Galtier were still thinking yesterday about the best way to deliver their version collectively.