Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been criticized for saying that the French football team did not have “French players” in the World Cup semi-final between the two countries on Tuesday.The comment, which was made in the opinion of the Spanish news website El Debate, provoked strong criticism from political leaders in Spain and France, who described it as racist and bigoted. The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, criticized this statement by writing on X: “There are people who still measure their name, place of birth, or skin color. He added, “Spain belongs to the people who love it and work for it. Not for those who are ashamed of xenophobic words.”
French leaders join in the criticism
The protest quickly spread throughout France. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called Rajoy’s comments “absolutely unacceptable”, while Anti-Racism Minister Aurore Berge condemned the “repeated explosion of racism” and said, “It’s time they stopped and the game becomes a game again: a place where you are judged on your skills and without alternatives.”Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel compared Rajoy’s comments to what the Paraguayan ambassador previously said about Kylian Mbappe, saying, “He can’t stop himself from taking on this disgusting racism.”French leaders emphasized that the national team represents the diversity of the country. Foreign Affairs Minister Naima Moutchou said, “Every time Les Bleus win, the same passion and the same cynicism starts again.” Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure added that “France has no skin or religion.”The French ambassador in Madrid also replied, “All the players of the French team are French. Out of the 26 players, 23 were born in France. The three who were born abroad are French.”The president of the French Soccer Federation Philippe Diallo also criticized Rajoy’s comments, saying they contained “intolerable expressions of racism.”The debate has been overshadowed by the build-up to the World Cup semi-final, with political leaders on both sides insisting that players should be judged on their ability rather than their background.
