French newspapers accuse Argentina and its footballers of “racism and bad manners.” Not only on the networks but throughout the championship in Qatar, with his rude style and obscene gestures, with his fans included. From Kylian Mbappé to those who missed the penalties, everyone is involved.
Television, like BFMTV, considers that these 5 million people celebrating the arrival of the National Team in Buenos Aires is “the excess” of a society in front of football,reflects “a frustration” in the face of inflation, due to the hard political and economic life that the country suffers.
On Twitter, the France team wrote that “several racist messages directed at certain players of the France team have been published on social media in the last few hours. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Kingsley Coman, who missed their shot during the penalty shootout, were the main targets. The FFF will file a complaint against its authors,” they announced.
The French Football Federation (FFF) “condemned” the publication on social networks of “racist and hateful” messages towards the players of the French national team, announcing his intention to “file a complaint”.
Attacks on Kylian Mbappé
When Kylian Mabppé returned to training this Wednesday at PSG three days after the final, the conservative newspaper Le Figaro maintains that “since his victory in the World Cup, Argentine players and fans have not stopped attacking Mbappé. They did not target it by chance.”
The text adds: “Since his crowning in the World Cup, after a spectacular final against France (3-3, 4-2 on penalties), Argentine players have multiplied the mockery of Kylian Mbappé.”
“A minute of silence for the death of Mbappé”, demanded, hilarious, the goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in the locker room.
In the long caravan, stuck on the Richieri highway, French television showed Dibu Martínez next to Leo Messi on the bus. Dibu showed a doll with diapers and the sad face of Mbappé as a baby. The single image infuriated the French press,which demands a reaction of repudiation from Leo Messi and an apology from Martínez.The “Dibu” Martínez with the World Cup with a mask of Kylian Mbappé. Next door, Lionel Messi. The image angered France. Twitter photo.
“Since the return of the Albiceleste to Buenos Aires, on the night from Monday to Tuesday, the spicy phrases against the French forward accelerated. The followers burned a cardboard that represented a coffin with a photo of Mbappé. Martínez, again, was seen using a doll with a mask of the number 10 of the Blues, ”he described Le Figaro.
“But why is Mbappé (24) so in the crosshairs of the Argentine people? Why him and not someone else?” he wonders. Le Figaro.
“There is the fact that Mbappé is the star of the France team. Glory Rescue. In addition, the PSG forward is full of self-confidence. At the risk of appearing arrogant and therefore annoying,” the newspaper added.
Words from the French striker
Mbappé, the youngest goalscorer in a World Cup, does not like South American soccer, although he is fluent in Spanish.
To this we must add Mbappé’s comments about South American football last May, which came back to him like a boomerang. “Soccer is not as advanced as in Europe,” he said into the TNT Sports microphone, pointing out the lack of homogeneity in the level of the teams compared to those of the Old Continent.
“He doesn’t know enough about football. He never played in South America. When you don’t have this experience, perhaps it’s better not to talk about it,” said goalkeeper Martínez, on the eve of the World Cup final. No hard feelings.
“racist fans”
For the French press, “Argentine fans are prone to racism”. The “politically correct” notion of racism is not familiar to soccer bars in Argentina.
On BFMTV, Argentine fans in Buenos Aires chanted “puto” or “Mbappé, la concha de tu madre”. “Racist insults” were also chanted, according to the on-site journalist for BFMTV.
Le Figaro wrote : “No wonder: Argentines had already been filmed by local television, even before the World Cup, singing a racist song. ‘They play in France but they all come from Angola. They like transvestites like this… Mbappé. His mother is Nigerian, his father is Cameroonian. But in the document: nationality: French'”.
The song was considered “abominable and racist” by all the French media, without distinction.
The Argentine players, in silence
But what bothers the French the most is that the Argentine players, and especially those who play in France, have not formally repudiated these accusations. Or they have explained to fans who idolize them that these kinds of racist accusations are not just nauseating acts but intolerable and criminal in France or the EU. Messi used the phrase “No discrimination” on his captain’s arm during matches.
The attitude of Emiliano Martínez, who had remarkably consoled the Frenchman Mbappé, sitting and devastated on the pitch after the defeat, is surprising. Lionel Messi, his PSG teammate, hugged him briefly and exchanged a few words with him, before taking the podium.
In the video that has gone viral, goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is seen with the doll with the image of Mbappé. Next door you can see Lionel Messi, but right next to him, without reacting.
Unknowns at PSG
The big question mark in France is what the weather will be like at PSG, when Lio Messi returns from his vacation in Argentina and meets Mbappé again. They are not close friends but they respect each other. they play together and communicate in Spanish.
“Could this alter the relationship between the two PSG teammates?” They point out that the Argentine newspaper olé “He tried to calm the situation, assuring that the best player in the World Cup had not even noticed that famous doll in the arms of his partner.”
TF1, the television channel that projected the match live from Qatar, observed: “If the Argentines celebrated their third star, some did not hesitate to turn their hatred against Kylian Mbappé. During the celebrations, on-site journalists reported insults, sometimes racist, directed at the French player. A video of a cardboard coffin with the head of La Azul, author of four goals in the final, burns on social networks,” they remarked.
apologies?
A group of Argentines living in France is in contact with the players to make them understand that an unacceptable line has been crossed.
They discuss an apology or a Twitter message to defuse the situation.
Kingsley Coman, who missed his shot on goal after a good start in the final, saw Bayern Munich take a step forward to support their player on Monday: “FC Bayern strongly condemns the racist comments made against Kingsley Coman. The FC Bayern family stands behind the King. Racism has no place in sport or in our society,” the club wrote on Twitter.
The Bayern striker, second to score for the Blues, saw his shot deflected by Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez as the two teams were tied 1-1 in the fateful session, giving the Albiceleste the chance to take the lead.
Other Tricolores were also targeted, and in particular the shooters in the penalty shootout: Aurélien Tchouameni, unhappy at having seen his shot on goal escape the frame, was attacked with racist comments, while Kylian Mbappé and Randal Kolo Muani, who they scored his shot on goal, but he missed an opportunity just before the session that could have been decisive.
Hugo Lloris, who did not deflect any shot, also suffered a wave of racist comments.
The reaction of political leaders
On Monday, several French political leaders, such as Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, the Sports Minister, reacted by resuming the defense of the French players.
“Shameless. Full support for Kingsley Coman and all the players who are victims of racist comments on social media, which have no place in football or anywhere else,” said the minister.
In France racism exists, especially against Arabs and blacksbeyond its constitutional guarantees. The Republican Contract, which they make the arriving refugees sign, is an example of how they try to limit the beliefs and lifestyle of Muslims, in the name of secularism.
There are two far-right politicians who are undisguised racists: Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen.
Racism in France takes different forms and can be apprehended on an individual or systemic scale. There have been periods of state racism in the past, especially during the colonial period. At the beginning of the 21st century, the law no longer creates any difference in law, except on the basis of nationality.
In particular, in France, there is no official criterion for classifying the population into breeds. However, the STIC police file classifies the wanted persons as follows: white (caucasian); Mediterranean; Gypsy; Middle East; Maghrebi from North Africa; Eurasian Asian; American Indian; Indian (Indian); mestizo-mulatto; black; Polynesian; Melanesia-Kanaque.
After the 2015 attacks, acts of racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, islamophobia or anti gypsy. Although figures from the Ministry of the Interior show that the situation has normalized since then, several high-profile cases recall the threat of identity suppression and the trivialization of discrimination, especially in the midst of the presidential campaign.
Cases of police violence – the accusation of Theo’s rape or the fatal arrest of Adama Traore – feed a climate already tense due to the state of emergency and the terrorist threat in France.
Place Beauvau, the Ministry of the Interior, also observes a Increase in attacks on Christian cemeteries and places of worship (+245% since 2008).
But France adheres to human rights. “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, including race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, wealth, birth, or any other status.” .
It is article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of December 10, 1948.
Paris, correspondent