Former Spanish PM accused of racism in remarks about French football team
Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is facing backlash for claiming the French national football team 'does not have any French players' in a newspaper column. Political leaders, including Spain's Pedro Sánchez, have condemned the remarks as xenophobic.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding national identity, immigration, and the role of political figures in shaping public discourse on diversity.
Rajoy, pictured in Spain’s parliament in 2017, made the remarks in a column for El Debate about the World Cup semi-final between the two sides./Getty Images Rajoy, pictured in Spain’s parliament in 2017, made the remarks in a column for El Debate about the World Cup semi-final between the two sides./Getty Images Spain Former Spanish PM accused of racism in remarks about French football team Political leaders in both countries rebuke Mariano Rajoy after he writes team ‘does not have any French players’
Prefer the Guardian on Google The former Spanish conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy is facing growing accusations of racism after writing in a World Cup newspaper column that the French national team “does not have any French players”.
Rajoy, who was in office from 2011 to 2018, pondered Spain’s looming semi-final showdown with France in an article for the online newspaper El Debate on Friday.
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