Politics
Former Spanish PM Rajoy accused of racism over World Cup column on French team
Synthesized from2 sources
Former Spanish PM Rajoy accused of racism over World Cup column on French team
Mariano Rajoy wrote that the French national team "does not have any French players," prompting condemnation from Spanish and French officials.
- Rajoy published a column on Friday in El Debate questioning the French team's composition ahead of the World Cup semi-final.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded on X, stating that Spain belongs to those who love it, not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements.
- French Socialist leader Olivier Faure stated that the French national team is composed only of French citizens, rejecting ethnic definitions of nationality.
- France's overseas territories minister Naïma Moutchou called on the French football federation to pursue all legal avenues over the remarks.
Latest developments
- French midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery responded that the mixture of ethnicities defines France, dismissing Rajoy's remarks and emphasizing team unity.
What happened since
Mariano Rajoy refuses to apologise for "without French people" remark after Spain semifinal win
Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has refused to apologise for comments about France's football team that were condemned as racist, writing a new article defending his remarks as a joke.
- Rajoy published an article titled "One must have a sense of humour" in El Debate, stating he will not apologise for his earlier comments.
- In an earlier article, Rajoy wrote that France has "a team of a very high level, but without French people," referring to the origins of most players.
- French and Spanish officials, as well as Spanish players Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí, condemned the remarks, describing them as racist.
- Spain defeated France 2–0 in the World Cup semifinal and will face the winner of Argentina vs England in the final.
Coverage
Read the original reportingThis brief was compiled from 2 outlets, 1 reporting in Arabic and 1 in English, over 31 hours of coverage. Each is listed below with the headline it led on, so you can compare them yourself.
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