French Football in chaos after disclosure of allegedly racist practice

French Football Federation in chaos after disclosure of allegedly racist practices in youth academies

French Football Federation (FFF) fell into chaos on Saturday after national technical director Francois Blaquart was suspended amid a row over an alleged project to limit the number of players of black or Arab origin in youth academies.

The French investigative website Médiapart published a report that claimed to expose organized racial discrimination against young football players in the French national training program.

The soccer academies had been asked to recruit no more than 30 percent of their players over the age of 12 or 13 from the country’s black and Arab population, according to the report.

Less than a year after the World Cup fiasco, France coach Laurent Blanc, who took over from Raymond Domenech after the embarrassing South Africa episode, was also caught up in the controversy.

“Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno and FFF president Fernand Duchaussoy have decided to suspend immediately national technical director Francois Blaquart pending the conclusions of an investigation led by the FFF and the IGJS (General Inspection of Youth and Sports),” Ms. Jouanno said in a statement.

The statement said the investigation was expected to be completed within eight days.

On Saturday, Médiapart published a verbatim report of a meeting at which Mr. Blanc, Mr. Blaquart, under-21 coach Erick Mombaerts and under-20 coach Francis Smerecki, among others, had a debate over African players with dual nationality groomed in France eventually opting to play for their country of origin.

France team media officer Philippe Tournon told Reuters on Saturday: “It was a debate on players with dual nationality. Causes and effects are being confused here.”

“There is no official comment now but I’m in contact with Laurent Blanc and the federation and there could be some reaction in the afternoon,” he said.

Mr. Blanc, who won the 1998 World Cup with a team dubbed 'Black-Blanc-Beur' (Blacks, Whites and Arabs) by French media, has often raised the issue of dual nationality players.

He denied, however, being in favor of quotas in youth academies.

“No such project has been revealed to me. It's a lie,” Mr. Blanc told a news conference in Bordeaux on Friday. “You cannot have quotas in football. It does not exist. Football is made of diversity.”

FFF president Mr. Duchaussoy on Friday also denied there were “instructions, orders” to limit the number of black and Arab players in the youth academies.

“What happened in a meeting, behind a door or in the corridors...I cannot vouch for everyone working at the federation but I am confident (that there was no wrongdoing),” he said.

Frances World Cup campaign ended in turmoil in 2010 after players went on strike in support of forward Nicolas Anelka, who had been thrown off the squad for insulting Mr. Domenech. In the aftermath of France's first-round exit, Anelka was banned for 18 matches and three other players were sanctioned.

France has been facing a re-emergence of far-right ideas, with National Front possible presidential candidate Marine Le Pen soaring in recent opinion polls.

The French presidential election will be held next year amid heated debates on immigration.

(Mustapha Ajbaili of Al Arabiya can be reached at: Mustapha.ajbaili@mbc.net)

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/04/30/147338.html

Funny thing is, half the best French players of recent years have been of black or Arab origin.

I wonder what Zindane thinks of this?

Funny thing is, half the best French players of recent years have been of black or Arab origin.

I wonder what Zindane thinks of this?

I think that is the problem, too many ehtnics in the french team and they want that reduced.

Pounce, Comolli! Get the talent to come here.

I think that is the problem, too many ehtnics in the french team and they want that reduced.

How is that a problem?