Racist remarks by Argentina players spark legal battle with French soccer federation
FRANCE-In response to Argentina players’ “racist and discriminatory remarks” during post-match shouts criticizing France’s team following the Copa America final, the French soccer organization is launching a judicial case.
What evidence does France have against Argentina’s players?
Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0. Argentina’s midfielder Enzo Fernandez shared a video on Instagram that went viral on X, with his teammates pretending to sing about African-American French players. Before France and Argentina played in the World Cup final two years ago, which Argentina won, some Argentina supporters started chanting the same things. The French soccer federation released a statement on Tuesday that read, “Given the seriousness of these shocking remarks, which are contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the FFF president has decided to contact its Argentinian counterpart and FIFA directly to file a legal complaint for racist and discriminatory remarks.” The insulting shouts target French players who are of African descent, originate from many nations, and possess a French passport. The FFF also stated, “The unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made against the players of the France team as part of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team are strongly condemned by Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Football Federation.” With a new task group, the federation is prioritizing the battle against racism in soccer.
Will FIFA take action against Argentina’s racist chants?
In the run-up to the 2024 Summer Olympics, which will begin in Paris on July 26, France has been dealing with issues and controversies. The host country forbade its athletes from competing in the Games while donning the headscarf, or hijab, which is worn by some Muslim women. In order to uphold secularism and guarantee “absolute neutrality in public services,” the nation’s athletes will not be permitted to don hijabs during the Olympics, according to an announcement made in September by the then-French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera. France is the only nation on the continent that forbids athletes wearing headscarves from competing in the majority of domestic sporting events, a move that sparked intense condemnation and demonstrations despite the nation housing one of Europe’s largest Muslim communities. Athletes will be allowed to wear the hijab at the athletes’ village, according to confirmation from the International Olympic Committee. Not long after the French government implemented the ban, an IOC spokeswoman declared, For the Olympic Village, the IOC rules apply.
How will the legal battle impact the teams’ upcoming matches?
According to nbcnewyork, After the Hamas strikes in eastern Israel on October 7, more than 38,000 Palestinians, including at least 15,000 children, have died as a result of Israeli bombings in Gaza. Those requesting the ban contend that Israel, which South Africa has charged with genocide in its case before the International Court of Justice, has to answer for its deeds. But in spite of the ten-month conflict, Israel’s Olympic status is unaffected prior to the Games. When questioned in March about Israeli teams and athletes’ decision to skip the Paris Games, IOC President Thomas Bach responded, “No, there is no question about this.” In the days preceding the Games, pro-Palestine demonstrators have persisted in calling on the IOC to disqualify Israel through online petitions and global demonstrations, which have included demonstrations outside France’s Olympic 2024 headquarters in Paris.
As per apnews, According to a study by France’s national health insurance system, the country is the fourth deadliest for workers in Europe and has more documented workplace accidents than any other EU member, with 560,000 incidences in 2022. The director of SOLIDEO, a publicly funded company created to develop the long-term infrastructure that would be left behind after the event, Nicolas Ferrand, claims that there have been at least 181 workplace accidents, including 31 major incidents, on construction projects linked to the Olympics.
Call to action: Boycott Pairs Olympics 2024
The Olympics are in danger of being disrupted by a disagreement between aviation employees and management at several airports in Paris. On July 17, unions declared a one-day strike in protest, demanding more incentives for staff members and increased Olympic spending. With competitors scheduled to begin arriving in large numbers on July 18 and hundreds of thousands of ticket holders flying in the lead-up to the July 26 opening ceremony, the Games might be impacted if the stalemate with management continues. These issues are raising so boycott Pairs Olympics 2024 it is not safe for fans as well as public.
