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French football chiefs accused of discrimination

PARIS (AP) — French sports minister Chantal Jouanno wants answers to a report claiming senior French Football Federation officials agreed on a quota restricting the number of black and Arab players in national training programs.

Jouanno responded to the claims made on Thursday by the investigative website Mediapart that senior members of the FFF — including national coach Laurent Blanc — secretly approved proposals to limit the number of blacks and Arabs in the training academies to 30 percent once they reach 12-13 years old.

Mediapart claimed to have been made aware of the decision by "internal sources at the FFF, (who are) scandalized by the procedure."
"I have just been made aware of the proposal attributed to certain figures in (French) football in the Mediapart article," Jouanno said. "I take note of the French Football Federation's denial about the existence of such a policy and I invite it to very quickly shed light on the allegations in the article."

Mediapart claimed Blanc and FFF technical director Francois Blaquart approved a proposal to limit to 30 percent the number of players from minorities in training centers and football schools.

"The objective declared within the DTN, but undisclosable to the general public, is to limit — by filtering them right from the age of 12-13 — the number of French players of African and north African kind," Mediapart said.

"A genuine segregation applied to football."

Jouanno promised to uphold guarantees of equal opportunities in sport.

"Discrimination has no place in sport, whether it's in the stands or in the training academies," she said.

FFF president Fernand Duchaussoy told RMC radio he was "surprised" by the report while Blaquart didn't respond to a message left on his mobile phone.

"You need to ask Francois Blaquart," Duchaussoy said. "There was a discussion during the federal council last week and we never spoke about this. It's shocking."

Jouanno said she was convinced Duchaussoy will be intransigent and will take all the necessary measures without delay.

According to Mediapart's report, directives have already been sent to training academies.

Andre Merelle, a former boss of the French National Football training centre at Clairefontaine, confirmed the DTN tried to reduce the number of players of African descent.

"It was under Gerard Houllier's helm," Merelle told RMC. "There was no official quota policy at the time, but a reflection about the numbers of black and Arabs. According to them, and that includes Francois Blaquart, there were too many."

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

Former Marseille president Pape Diouf, who is black, says there is institutionalized racism within French football.

"I don't know if they are true, but I am not surprised by the revelations," Diouf told RMC radio.

"The truth is the following: French football is a reflection of (French) society. French football is racist, it excludes."

mr_nool wrote:They have a big fucking problem over there. If the stuff from the article below is true, it's fucking outrageous.

French football chiefs accused of discrimination

PARIS (AP) — French sports minister Chantal Jouanno wants answers to a report claiming senior French Football Federation officials agreed on a quota restricting the number of black and Arab players in national training programs.

Jouanno responded to the claims made on Thursday by the investigative website Mediapart that senior members of the FFF — including national coach Laurent Blanc — secretly approved proposals to limit the number of blacks and Arabs in the training academies to 30 percent once they reach 12-13 years old.

Mediapart claimed to have been made aware of the decision by "internal sources at the FFF, (who are) scandalized by the procedure."
"I have just been made aware of the proposal attributed to certain figures in (French) football in the Mediapart article," Jouanno said. "I take note of the French Football Federation's denial about the existence of such a policy and I invite it to very quickly shed light on the allegations in the article."

Mediapart claimed Blanc and FFF technical director Francois Blaquart approved a proposal to limit to 30 percent the number of players from minorities in training centers and football schools.

"The objective declared within the DTN, but undisclosable to the general public, is to limit — by filtering them right from the age of 12-13 — the number of French players of African and north African kind," Mediapart said.

"A genuine segregation applied to football."

Jouanno promised to uphold guarantees of equal opportunities in sport.

"Discrimination has no place in sport, whether it's in the stands or in the training academies," she said.

FFF president Fernand Duchaussoy told RMC radio he was "surprised" by the report while Blaquart didn't respond to a message left on his mobile phone.

"You need to ask Francois Blaquart," Duchaussoy said. "There was a discussion during the federal council last week and we never spoke about this. It's shocking."

Jouanno said she was convinced Duchaussoy will be intransigent and will take all the necessary measures without delay.

According to Mediapart's report, directives have already been sent to training academies.

Andre Merelle, a former boss of the French National Football training centre at Clairefontaine, confirmed the DTN tried to reduce the number of players of African descent.

"It was under Gerard Houllier's helm," Merelle told RMC. "There was no official quota policy at the time, but a reflection about the numbers of black and Arabs. According to them, and that includes Francois Blaquart, there were too many."

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

Former Marseille president Pape Diouf, who is black, says there is institutionalized racism within French football.

"I don't know if they are true, but I am not surprised by the revelations," Diouf told RMC radio.

"The truth is the following: French football is a reflection of (French) society. French football is racist, it excludes."

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

That is absolutely mental. Should they be excluded from schools and universities as well, in case they take the 'Secrets of French Literacy and Medicine' to another country, too???

simon12 wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

That is absolutely mental. Should they be excluded from schools and universities as well, in case they take the 'Secrets of French Literacy and Medicine' to another country, too???

Does he meam like Henry, Zidane and Vieira. France has benefited too, to some tune. The thing is if it was white people who had dual nationality nobody would call it racism, but it would be. In France they have the balls to say what they think (whether right or wrong) as they don`t have as many thought police as we do. If these "arabs and asians" were good enough to play for France (the 3 mentioned above for example) they wouldn`t play for other countries would they?

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

That is absolutely mental. Should they be excluded from schools and universities as well, in case they take the 'Secrets of French Literacy and Medicine' to another country, too???

CityGer wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

That is absolutely mental. Should they be excluded from schools and universities as well, in case they take the 'Secrets of French Literacy and Medicine' to another country, too???

I'm not so sure.

I think the allegations of discriminations are awful if true but on Blanc's point, I see that as perfectly logical and I'm not sure about your comparison to schools and universities. People have a right to a basic education and the right to attend university if they are willing to pay. Do people have the right to free, specialised schooling, through one of the finest footballing academy systems in the world, financed by the nation's football association, if the association doesn't see the fruit of their labour and funding? Why should the French FA fund the development of the Belgian, Togo or Ivory Coast national teams?I don't have an issue with what Blanc is saying and I think youngsters should pledge their international commitment to the country in which they were schooled, if they qualify. Nigh on Impossible in practice, I know, and this is a complex issue but I agree with Blanc.

I also think more needs to be done to protect clubs from the same scenario.

CityGer wrote:I think the allegations of discriminations are awful if true but on Blanc's point, I see that as perfectly logical and I'm not sure about your comparison to schools and universities. People have a right to a basic education and the right to attend university if they are willing to pay. Do people have the right to free, specialised schooling, through one of the finest footballing academy systems in the world, financed by the nation's football association, if the association doesn't see the fruit of their labour and funding?

BlueinBosnia wrote:

CityGer wrote:I think the allegations of discriminations are awful if true but on Blanc's point, I see that as perfectly logical and I'm not sure about your comparison to schools and universities. People have a right to a basic education and the right to attend university if they are willing to pay. Do people have the right to free, specialised schooling, through one of the finest footballing academy systems in the world, financed by the nation's football association, if the association doesn't see the fruit of their labour and funding?

Sorry, I should have clarified this earlier. France's university system is essentially free, and university education can in no way be construed to be 'a basic human right'.

Yes, the academies are funded by the French FA. But in turn, the FA is funded by the taxpayers, including (in some cases at least) the parents of these children. Should they be denied entry into a footballing academy in part funded by their own parents?

CityGer wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

CityGer wrote:I think the allegations of discriminations are awful if true but on Blanc's point, I see that as perfectly logical and I'm not sure about your comparison to schools and universities. People have a right to a basic education and the right to attend university if they are willing to pay. Do people have the right to free, specialised schooling, through one of the finest footballing academy systems in the world, financed by the nation's football association, if the association doesn't see the fruit of their labour and funding?

Sorry, I should have clarified this earlier. France's university system is essentially free, and university education can in no way be construed to be 'a basic human right'.

Yes, the academies are funded by the French FA. But in turn, the FA is funded by the taxpayers, including (in some cases at least) the parents of these children. Should they be denied entry into a footballing academy in part funded by their own parents?

I'm not sure to what extent the French FA is funded by the tax payer, it may to a degree but I'd wager that a decent proportion of it's funding comes from the product it produces. As for your question, no, of course not. They shouldn't be denied entry but if academy feels that the individual has no intention of representing France then, in my opinion, the academy would be well within their rights to decline the individual entry.

I would want City bringing a lad through at great expense if the lad intended to move abroad or join another club before we saw the benefit of our investment.

simon12 wrote:

CityGer wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

That is absolutely mental. Should they be excluded from schools and universities as well, in case they take the 'Secrets of French Literacy and Medicine' to another country, too???

I'm not so sure.

I think the allegations of discriminations are awful if true but on Blanc's point, I see that as perfectly logical and I'm not sure about your comparison to schools and universities. People have a right to a basic education and the right to attend university if they are willing to pay. Do people have the right to free, specialised schooling, through one of the finest footballing academy systems in the world, financed by the nation's football association, if the association doesn't see the fruit of their labour and funding? Why should the French FA fund the development of the Belgian, Togo or Ivory Coast national teams?I don't have an issue with what Blanc is saying and I think youngsters should pledge their international commitment to the country in which they were schooled, if they qualify. Nigh on Impossible in practice, I know, and this is a complex issue but I agree with Blanc.

I also think more needs to be done to protect clubs from the same scenario.

That`s what I was trying to get at. I think the race card has been played to quickly by a very poor writer.

mr_nool wrote:

simon12 wrote:

CityGer wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Since he took over from Raymond Domenech after the World Cup, Blanc has often raised the problem of the numerous players with double nationalities, who benefit from the French training academies before choosing to play for another country.

That is absolutely mental. Should they be excluded from schools and universities as well, in case they take the 'Secrets of French Literacy and Medicine' to another country, too???

I'm not so sure.

I think the allegations of discriminations are awful if true but on Blanc's point, I see that as perfectly logical and I'm not sure about your comparison to schools and universities. People have a right to a basic education and the right to attend university if they are willing to pay. Do people have the right to free, specialised schooling, through one of the finest footballing academy systems in the world, financed by the nation's football association, if the association doesn't see the fruit of their labour and funding? Why should the French FA fund the development of the Belgian, Togo or Ivory Coast national teams?I don't have an issue with what Blanc is saying and I think youngsters should pledge their international commitment to the country in which they were schooled, if they qualify. Nigh on Impossible in practice, I know, and this is a complex issue but I agree with Blanc.

I also think more needs to be done to protect clubs from the same scenario.

That`s what I was trying to get at. I think the race card has been played to quickly by a very poor writer.

I think not. This is only the tip of an iceberg. Blanc has been caught giving comment like "Look at Spain, they don't have any problems, cause they don't have any black players". At times prayer mats and halal food has been "forbidden" for the national teams. Sport sociologists and other "scientists" get to voice their shady opinions in the media and spout shit like:
”People say that the French national team is admired because it is black-blanc-bleur (black-white-arabic). In reality the team is black-black-black and all of Europe is laughing at it". During the WC 2006, Front National was cheering when France was kicked out, because the team didn't represent their view of France, and the game between France and Togo was on national television described as the only African derby of the tournament.

LookMumImOnMCF.net wrote:It makes me laugh that Blanc has pointed to Spain and said that they are successful because they have no black players.

This certainly wasn't a problem for the French national team 10 years ago, nor has it been for the most successful club teams over the past few years. What would Blanc cite as Italy's failure at the last World Cup?

It was clear that all wasn't well in the French camp last summer but blaming race rather than the attitudes of players and poor management is a real low.

DoomMerchant wrote:i have several dear friends who are French and whom i love dearly. they are the probably the most racist people i've ever met who happen to also be educated professionals. in other words, i've seen worst racism in the uneducated masses of urban or rural poor, but i've never met western people who've gone to university and have good jobs as racist as the French. The people i've known well were not Parisians btw.

as a nation i believe France has a tragic problem with racism that makes the media hype of the US or UK racism issues pale in comparison.

I do see Cityger's points on the topic, but believe the undercurrent of what Noolie wrote to be more indicative of the French people i have known in my life. Mind you, i am not a chalet-owning ski bum in France so i don't have much actual life experience there. I'd be interested to hear from those that have lived there for an extended period on this topic.

cheers

LookMumImOnMCF.net wrote:It makes me laugh that Blanc has pointed to Spain and said that they are successful because they have no black players.

This certainly wasn't a problem for the French national team 10 years ago, nor has it been for the most successful club teams over the past few years. What would Blanc cite as Italy's failure at the last World Cup?

It was clear that all wasn't well in the French camp last summer but blaming race rather than the attitudes of players and poor management is a real low.

ronk wrote:

LookMumImOnMCF.net wrote:It makes me laugh that Blanc has pointed to Spain and said that they are successful because they have no black players.

This certainly wasn't a problem for the French national team 10 years ago, nor has it been for the most successful club teams over the past few years. What would Blanc cite as Italy's failure at the last World Cup?

It was clear that all wasn't well in the French camp last summer but blaming race rather than the attitudes of players and poor management is a real low.

He's wrong about Spain. Marcus Senna was the catalyst for them when they won the 2008 Euros and though he missed 2010, his influence could readily be seen in the shape of the team in the form of Busquets. I don't think it's entirely unfair to say that Senna was the missing piece in the jigsaw that transformed Spain from talented underachievers to best team in the world.

It appears to be a consequence of what happened at the world cup. They noticed that Anelka, Evra and Henry caused different levels of trouble leading to the breakdown of the squad, and they've seen the way that French academies are being ripped apart by big foreign clubs and they've come up with this bizarre conclusion.