The projection goes badly among environmental activists. The director general of the NGO Greenpeace France, Jean-François Julliard, said he was “distressed” on Monday after the joke of Christophe Galtier, arrested about the trip of the PSG in a private jet between Paris and Nantes, while a line of train, more ecological, already exists between the two cities.
“We are trying to see if we can’t get around in a sand yacht”, indeed quipped the coach of the Parisian club, questioned by a journalist on the proposal made by Alain Krakovitch, general manager of Voyages SNCF, of have its players travel on its TGV line instead of taking a private plane. A joke that is difficult to hear in times of climate crisis and calls for energy sobriety, explains Jean-François Julliard to Parisian.
What do you think of this statement by Christophe Galtier?
It’s distressing. I am a football fan and I thought that some coaches like Christophe Galtier were above the fray. This is a symptom that shows that the subject of the impact of sport on the environment is not taken into account, that there is no reflection, and even less action in this area. We saw it during discussions with the organization of the next Rugby World Cup, there are no real measures. We are very far from the mark in the world of sport.
Does the world of sport have a real impact on the environment?
Athletes can have a real influence on society, these are symbols that go beyond the real impact on the environment, because, of course, a Paris-Nantes trip by plane does not change the situation. A club like PSG, which is also watched and admired, can be a precursor by having more sober travel, because many young people follow the sport and be influenced. We also say it about the world of entertainment, influencers, whose private jet journeys we follow so much.
There is a question of security, we can hear it. But there, the solution was proposed by a boss of the SNCF. Galtier’s answer therefore looks even more off the mark. It would have been better if he had said he was thinking about it, not just cracked a joke about it. In times of crisis, such a joke cannot be heard.
What do you expect from Christophe Galtier after this release?
I would like him to come back to his remarks and ensure that his club also contributes to the collective effort in terms of ecology, whether it is with different modes of travel, that players raise awareness… There may be have plenty of resources. Why would PSG players make less effort than others?