Mariano Rajoy, the former conservative prime minister of Spain, is under scrutiny for allegedly making racist remarks in a recent newspaper column. In his piece, he asserted that the French national football team “does not have any French players” prompting widespread backlash.
Rajoy, who served from 2011 until 2018, reflected on Spain’s upcoming semi-final match against France in an article published by El Debate. He noted, “It’s worth remembering that France has been a two-time world champion and was a finalist in the last World Cup,”
The former prime minister’s comments have drawn parallels to a recent racist social media attack on French star Kylian Mbappé by a Paraguayan senator, leading to a strong reaction from the current Spanish prime minister.
“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.”
Pedro Sánchez expressed in a post on X. “There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth, or skin colour,”
Rajoy’s remarks sparked outrage in France, where officials condemned his statements. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated, “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.”
Olivier Faure, the leader of the French Socialist Party, emphasized that the national team comprises only French citizens. He remarked, “That’s completely unacceptable,”
Fabien Roussel, the head of the French Communist Party, also criticized Rajoy’s comments, likening them to the racist tirade from Senator Celeste Amarilla, who referred to Mbappé as a “That’s completely not what France is about. France is a country of diversity where everyone can thrive and find their place.”
Roussel stated, “France is not an ethnic nation; it has no skin colour or religion,”
Others voiced concerns about a recurring pattern of racism. Naïma Moutchou, France’s minister for overseas territories, noted, “It is a political nation united around the republican motto – much to the chagrin of the racist right.”
Moutchou urged the French football federation, which has already lodged a complaint with Paris prosecutors over Amarilla’s remarks, to “colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French”
Sánchez concluded his post on X with a friendly message.
“They cannot help but spew filthy racism in an attempt to annoy our beautiful French team.”
