Nice have announced that they have suspended “until further notice” their defender Youcef Atal, who was targeted by a preliminary investigation for “apologizing for terrorism” after a post linked to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas. Although the Algerian international immediately deleted the publication and apologised, the club explained in a statement that it had chosen to “immediately adopt” the sanctions, “before” those that could be adopted by the sporting or judicial authorities, “given the nature of the sanctions, the post shared and its severity”.
In training camp with the Algerian team since 9 October, Atal was called up upon his return to Nice by the club’s managers.
“We would like to underline that Nice’s reputation derives from the behavior of all its employees, who must conform to the values upheld by the institution,” explained the French first division club, reiterating “its firm commitment to ensuring that peace prevails over all other considerations.”
Since Saturday, reactions have multiplied to denounce the sharing, on the footballer’s Instagram account, of a video of a preacher who, according to those who accuse him, utters anti-Semitic phrases that incite violence.
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2023-10-18 10:39:47
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