the trial on December 15th. The released son – Corriere.it

PARIS

Too many blacks and Arabs in the team, coach Christophe Galtier (still formally at PSG) allegedly complained about this when he coached OGC Nice two seasons ago, recommending to the sporting director to take into account the soul of the city. It seems that the Marseille-born coach received many complaints from the notables of Nice, or that was his interpretation of some discontent with the team.

In any case, yesterday’s arrest on suspicion of racial discrimination comes at the worst possible moment for Galtier and for France, which was filled with anger after 17-year-old Nahel, a Frenchman of Algerian origin, was killed on Tuesday by a policeman during a road check. If his name had been François he would still be alive, repeat the boys in the banlieue, and the idea that the coach of one of the strongest teams in the French championship kept count of the Françoises and Rachids to choose the line-up causes, in these hours, a huge embarrassment.

Galtier and his adopted son and agent John Valovic were arrested and interrogated yesterday by the Nice police. In the evening, the son was then released without charge. The date of the trial for the technician has already been set: 15 December.
He risks up to three years in prison and a fine of 45 thousand euros for moral harassment and discrimination based on belonging or not, real or presumed, to an ethnic group, to a nation, to an alleged race or to a particular religion, according to the release of the Nice prosecutor Xavier Bonhomme.

Christophe Galtier suspected of making discriminatory and racist comments during the year he was in charge of OGC Nice (2021-2022), according to the Statements by former sports director of the team Julien Fournier. Christophe Galtier has always strongly denied the allegations and has also filed a libel suit. Several Nice players and managers have already been questioned. The arrest comes after the revelations last April. In those days the journalist Romain Molina told the reason for the bad relations that existed in Nice between Julien Fournier and the coach Christophe Galtier with his son John Valovic.

the email that Fournier had sent to the management of Ineos (the British company that owns OGC Nice) and in particular to the new boss Dave Brailsford, to complain about Galtier and Valovic regarding their management of black and Muslim players in the team, was released. which according to Galtier were too many. Gi didn’t like that the coach asked Muslim players not to respect Ramadan, but in the email Fournier openly accuses Galtier and his son of discrimination.

In an excerpt made known by Rmc Sportsreads: Christophe Galtier arrived at my office and greeted his son, who told me to check with him what he had just told me (about too many black and Arab players, ed). Once the son-agent Valovic left, I told Christophe about the discussion I had just had with him and asked him if it was all true. He said yes, that I had to take into account the reality of the city and that we couldn’t have so many blacks and Muslims in the team.

Already last April, Paris Saint-Germain fans issued a very harsh statement against Galtier, who denied all the allegations. The coach was placed under protection after receiving over five thousand messages of insults and death threats. Having failed in their mission to conquer the Champions League with an inglorious elimination in the round of 16 against Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain won (with difficulty) their umpteenth French championship.

At the end of the season, Galtier was not reconfirmed: his removal was decided due to the uninspiring results, and also due to the controversy over discrimination, unacceptable for the Qatari ownership despite Galtier’s defense. However the investigation goes, in his place should arrive the former coach of the Spanish national team Luis Enrique.