Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is under increasing scrutiny for alleged racist comments made in a newspaper column regarding the French national football team. In his piece for the online publication El Debate, Rajoy claimed that the team “does not have any French players”
Rajoy, who served as prime minister from 2011 to 2018, reflected on the upcoming semi-final match between Spain and France in his article published on Friday. He acknowledged France’s impressive football history, stating, “It’s worth remembering that France has been a two-time world champion and was a finalist in the last World Cup,”
The backlash to Rajoy’s remarks has been swift, especially in light of a recent racist attack on French player Kylian Mbappé by a Paraguayan senator. Spain’s current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded sharply, asserting on X, “They’ve won every match they’ve played in this World Cup and are currently ranked No 1 in the Fifa rankings. They also have a top-level squad. That said, they don’t have any French players. And they’re playing very well. They’ll be a formidable opponent.”
Rajoy’s comments sparked outrage in France, where Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez condemned the statements as unacceptable. Speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV, he stated, “There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth, or skin colour,”
Olivier Faure, leader of the French Socialist Party, emphasized that the French national team comprises only French citizens. He remarked, “Others measure it by our roots in a country and our will to contribute to it. Playing football. Caring for our elders. Or opening businesses. Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements.”
Fabien Roussel, head of the French Communist Party, criticized Rajoy and linked his remarks to the earlier comments from Senator Celeste Amarilla, who had disparaged Mbappé. Roussel stated, “That’s completely unacceptable,”
Others noted a troubling trend. Naïma Moutchou, France’s minister for overseas territories, commented, “That’s completely not what France is about. France is a country of diversity where everyone can thrive and find their place.”
Moutchou urged the French football federation, which has already lodged a complaint with Paris prosecutors regarding Amarilla’s remarks, to explore all legal options. In a closing remark on X, Sánchez expressed good sportsmanship.
“France is not an ethnic nation; it has no skin colour or religion,”
