Orléans coach Bernard Casoni apologizes and says he is “anything but racist” – Libération

The former French international tried to defend himself this Thursday, October 12, after being suspended by the 3rd division club he coaches and the opening of a preliminary investigation against him.

Accused of racist remarks, ex-French international Bernard Casoni, coach of the US Orléans football club who has since suspended him, tried as best he could to limit the damage this Thursday, October 12 in the morning. “Of course it shocks, I understand that. […] I apologize for having hurt people, it’s not in my nature,” said the 62-year-old coach, on France Bleu Orléans, who revealed his remarks earlier in the week.

But the former player with 30 caps for the France team then added: “I am anything but racist. I may have made inappropriate comments.”

Other comments of a similar nature

The affair broke out with the broadcast on Monday by France Blue Orléans a statement from the coach of National (3rd division), speaking of the adherence of his squad to his game plan: “I have done it in all the clubs I have been to, I have done it with North Africans! They are no more stupid than North Africans, eh… I mean, that’s the role of a coach,” he said during a press conference on September 21, the day before a match against Châteauroux. .

France Bleu Orléans, citing several players and members of the club, specified that Bernard Casoni had made other comments of the same nature on several occasions.

INFO FRANCE BLEU ORLÉANS – Bernard Casoni, the former international, ex-player of Olympique de Marseille, current coach of US Orléans, accused of repeated racist remarks pic.twitter.com/IUhEau3xct

— France Bleu (@francebleu) October 9, 2023

Targeted by a preliminary investigation for provoking hatred or racial discrimination and for public insults of a racist nature opened by the Orléans public prosecutor’s office, Bernard Casoni was suspended by his club on Tuesday.

The former French international filed a complaint against X on Wednesday for slanderous denunciation, said his lawyer Didier Lacombe.