Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has come under fire after claiming France’s national soccer team “has no French players” ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final between the two countries.The comment, made in an opinion piece for the Spanish news website El Debate, sparked widespread criticism from political leaders in Spain and France, who described it as xenophobic and racist. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the statement written by X. “There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth, or skin color. Others measure it by our roots in a country and our will to contribute to it.” He added, “Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements.”
French leaders: unite in condemning words
Criticism quickly spread throughout France. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called Rajoy’s comments “absolutely unacceptable”, while Anti-Discrimination Minister Aurore Berge criticized “repeated racist spewing” and said, “It’s time for them to stop and that game has become a game again: a place where you are judged by your talent and no other criteria.”Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel compared Rajoy’s comments to earlier racist comments made by a Paraguayan senator about Kylian Mbappe, saying, “They just can’t stop themselves from slinging this disgusting racism.”French leaders emphasize that the national team represents the country’s diversity. Overseas Territories Minister Naima Moutchou said, “Every time Les Bleus win, the same racist obsessions and insults resurface.” Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure added that “France has no skin color or religion.”The French embassy in Madrid also responded, saying, “All the players in the French team are French. Of the 26 players, 23 were born in France. The three born abroad are also French.”French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo also criticized Rajoy’s statement, describing it as bringing an “intolerable situation of racism.”Controversy has clouded the build-up to the much-anticipated World Cup semi-final, with political leaders on both sides insisting that players should be judged by their talent rather than their background.