sports
Attacks on the French national team reflect racism driven by the far-right, says historian
The World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany takes place on Tuesday (14) and features two of the tournament's favorites. Off the field, authorities from both countries, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchéz, are uniting to condemn the racism that has marked this edition of the competition since its beginning.
TL;DR
- Racist incidents have occurred during the World Cup, targeting the French national team.
- Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla made racist remarks.
- Historian Diogo Xavier attributes these attacks to structural racism, often trivialized in football.
- Xavier criticizes a song by Argentinian fans that incorrectly linked French players to Angola.
- The far-right in France, particularly figures like Jean-Marie and Marine Le Pen, is identified as a significant driver of racism that denies the French identity of Black players.
- The article highlights that 23 out of 26 French players are descendants of people from former colonies.
- France's system of neighborhood clubs in Parisian suburbs is praised for identifying and fostering talent from diverse backgrounds.
- Xavier asserts that the Black players are on the French national team because they are better than the white players and are indeed French.