Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been criticized for claiming the French national football team has “no French players” ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final between the two countries.The remarks, published in an opinion piece on Spanish news site El Debate, sparked widespread criticism from political leaders in Spain and France, who called them xenophobic and racist. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the statement, writing on He added, “Spain belongs to those who love it and fight for it. Not to those who humiliate it with xenophobic rhetoric.”
french leader unanimous condemnation
Criticism spread quickly throughout France. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called Rajoy’s comments “absolutely unacceptable,” while Anti-Discrimination Minister Aurore Berge condemned “repeated outbursts of racist behavior” and said, “It’s time to stop and let sport be sport again: a place where you are judged by your talent and not other criteria.”Communist Party leader Fabian Rosell compared Rajoy’s comments to the Paraguayan senator’s previous racist comments about Kylian Mbappe, saying: “They just can’t stop themselves from throwing out this disgusting racism.”The French leader stressed that the national team represents the diversity of the country. Overseas Territories Minister Naima Muchu said: “Every time the Blues win, the same racist obsessions and insults resurface.” Socialist leader Olivier Faure added that “France has no color or religion.”The French Embassy in Madrid also responded, “All players on the French team are French. Of the 26 players, 23 were born in France, and 3 who were born abroad are also French.”French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo also criticized Rajoy’s remarks, calling them “intolerably racist.”The controversy has cast a pall over the much-anticipated World Cup semi-finals, with political leaders from both sides insisting players should be judged on their talent, not their background.
