Galtier, PSG coach, and his son, in police custody for a case of racism

The still coach of Paris Saint-Germain, Christophe Galtier, has been in police custody since Friday with his son for an investigation opened into a case of racism and discrimination when he trained Nice, said the city's prosecutor, Xavier Bonhomme.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
29 June 2023 Thursday 16:27
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Galtier, PSG coach, and his son, in police custody for a case of racism

The still coach of Paris Saint-Germain, Christophe Galtier, has been in police custody since Friday with his son for an investigation opened into a case of racism and discrimination when he trained Nice, said the city's prosecutor, Xavier Bonhomme. .

The case refers to the leak of an alleged email from the then sports director of Nice Julien Fournier in which he denounced Galtier's alleged racist attitude as the team's coach in the 2021-2022 season. The emails revealed by Fournier referred to Galtier's comments about some black players on the team, something the coach has denied on numerous occasions.

On April 13, the Nice Judicial Police began a preliminary investigation on the grounds of discrimination based on race or religion, and the coach denied the accusations. "I am deeply shocked by the statements attributed to me and which have been irresponsibly disclosed," Galtier stated at a press conference last April.

Several of those affected have been or will be questioned in the coming days about an investigation that may have an impact on the career of the coach who, at the helm of PSG, has not achieved the goals set by the club's Qatari owner.

Galtier will not continue in charge of the PSG bench. The elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Bayern Munich definitively sentenced the coach. They consider that winning a single title, the League, is insufficient for the pharaonic budget.

The maximum continental competition resists a club that has been accumulating disappointments since its project with Qatar began in 2012. It has never won it. The closest he has come to conquering it was with Mauricio Pochettino on the bench for the 2020-2021 season. On that occasion, PSG reached the semifinals after beating FC Barcelona and Bayern along the way, but Guardiola's City ended their aspirations. The last two years in which PSG had Leo Messi in the squad, they were eliminated in the round of 16. The first year against Madrid. The latter against Bayern Munich.

Everything indicates that his replacement will be the former Spanish coach Luis Enrique Martínez. Before making Luis Enrique's appointment official, PSG must close the exit agreement with Galtier and his coaching staff, who still have a one-year contract. The French sports press has advanced in recent days that this compensation would be around six million euros euros after PSG disbursed around 10 million a year ago to dismiss Mauricio Pochettino.