In May of this year, Christophe Galtier coached both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé and helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Ligue 1 title. However, on December 15, he will face a trial in a French court for criminal charges related to discrimination based on race and religion. These charges stem from his time as manager of Nice from June 2021 to July 2022, which Galtier denies.
This is a genuine case in the realm of law and order, not a sugar-coated version seen in football. If proven guilty, Galtier could potentially be sentenced to three years in jail. The consequences are extremely significant in other aspects as well, as this trial will bring forth a troubling moment for French football and the country as a whole, during a period of intense internal political divisions.
According to a recent article in L’Équipe, a probe reveals shocking allegations that will be brought to court. Galtier is charged with discriminating against black and Muslim players, and reportedly forcing them to break their fast during Ramadan or face being benched.
Information publicly available shows that he told his assistant Frédéric Gioria, “I don’t want another Muslim, we’ve had enough” after signing Billal Brahimi. He also referred to the Saint-Étienne centre-backs Harold Moukoudi and Mickaël Nadé as “two King Kongs” and told the club’s sporting director, “Julien, you still don’t understand. I don’t want any more black or Arab players.”
Galtier refutes all of these accusations and plans to provide a selection of supportive testimonials to the court. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty and may ultimately be cleared of all allegations.
However, there is a larger aspect to be noted in the specifics, regardless of the result. This pertains to Ineos and its sporting director, Sir Dave Brailsford, who has been heavily rumored to be joining Manchester United as part of their new leadership team, assuming the anticipated investment is confirmed.
At this juncture, it is important to reiterate the sequence of events leading to Galtier’s downfall. Nice is a club owned by Ineos. Galtier became the manager in June 2021 after a meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and was placed under Brailsford’s indirect supervision.
In May 2022, the sporting director of Nice, Julien Fournier, emailed Brailsford to inform him about the alleged racist and discriminatory actions of Galtier, providing detailed information. Fournier has since explained that he did this to prevent any accusations of concealing criminal behavior in the future.
No visible alterations were made. Galtier voluntarily departed Nice in July 2022 to join PSG. The incident was not made public until April 2023 when the email sent to Brailsford was revealed to the press.
The occurrence caused a sudden uproar on a national level. The prosecutor in Nice initiated a legal investigation.
In June 2023, Galtier faced allegations of moral harassment and discrimination related to his actions towards individuals of different races and religions. He departed from PSG in July 2023 and subsequently became the manager for Al-Duhail in the Qatari league in October, a position he currently holds.
When the Guardian reached out, both Brailsford and Ineos declined to provide any statement regarding the situation with Galtier and Nice due to ongoing legal proceedings. A spokesperson noted that Ineos had previously stated that the email to Brailsford was “escalated” and that proper workplace protocols were followed.
It is difficult to comprehend the potential outcomes of these procedures from an external perspective. It is evident that, if the email to Brailsford had not been exposed, the accusations that resulted in a legal trial would have remained unknown outside of the team. Ineos and Nice permitted Galtier to depart with his character unscathed.
The state of affairs involving Ineos and Nice has been deemed “embarrassing” by L’Équipe. However, the true extent of the situation will only be revealed as the trial continues.
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Manchester United has declined to provide a statement, stating that it would not be suitable to discuss any matters related to Ineos while their potential investment is still hypothetical. However, for the team’s fans, who are still recovering from the loss of their former chief executive due to mishandling of the Mason Greenwood situation, the “L’Affaire Galtier” raises concerns about Ineos and Brailsford’s touted capabilities and their suitability for managing a large public sports organization.
Why did Nice and Ineos fail to address accusations of racism made by their manager, resulting in little public attention? Why did Brailsford not report these allegations to the authorities? Was any of this mentioned in the reviews conducted by Brailsford on the team’s coaching? Why was it only after the email was leaked to Brailsford and police involvement that the full extent of the issue was revealed?
The details of the allegations surely demanded some kind of escalation. Galtier is accused by his assistant manager of describing the Algerian internationals Youcef Atal and Hicham Boudaoui as “dirty guys” and saying, “The worst are the Algerians”, statements Galtier denies making.
L’Équipe reported that Galtier is alleged to have created a list of players he wanted to leave the club, which mainly consisted of individuals of the Muslim faith. He is also accused of pressuring Jean-Clair Todibo to abandon his fast during Ramadan and informing another player that Todibo was a Salafist and an extremist. Additionally, it is claimed that Galtier’s remarks about the Muslim faith led academy coach Didier Digard to consider resigning out of concern that he may “indoctrinate” young players.
Galtier argued that he kept his office accessible for those who wanted to pray. He also permitted Muslim employees to leave work early for Friday prayers if they desired. According to a statement released by his legal team in L’Équipe this week, Galtier is prepared for his upcoming hearing and will present his defense in court. He looks forward to the opportunity to publicly and openly demonstrate that he has never engaged in discrimination or harassment. His successful career and good reputation are proof of his integrity.
The upcoming trial of Galtier is causing concern in France. Many unanswered questions linger, including why PSG publicly thanked Galtier for his professionalism and commitment while he was facing charges. Additionally, it raises eyebrows that he was quickly hired by a club in Qatar whose president holds a government position and is part of the royal family.
In more specific terms, what implications does this have for Ineos, Brailsford, and Manchester United? It is not implied that Ineos was aware of any of this prior to hiring Galtier, but regardless of the outcome of the trial, United’s newly proposed football operations division hired and kept a coach who is now facing criminal charges for his alleged actions while under Ineos’s supervision. Does this demonstrate a high level of attention to detail and extreme competence, as is necessary to eradicate years of aimless wandering?
A recurring problem during the Glazer family’s reign, and one that Vice Ineos was meant to eliminate, is the hiring of underqualified individuals from within the company. At this point in the job interview process, there is not much convincing evidence from events on the Côte d’Azur.
Source: theguardian.com
