The former coach of French football champions Paris Saint-Germain, Christophe Galtier, has been acquitted in the trial over racism allegations.
The Nice public prosecutor’s office announced this on Thursday (December 21, 2023). The 57-year-old had to answer for allegations of bullying and discrimination during his time at OGC Nice. According to media reports, the prosecution had demanded a year’s probation and a fine of 45,000 euros for the football coach.
The allegations against Galtier became public through a leaked email. In this email from August 2021, the then Nice sports director Julien Fournier accused the coach of saying that there were too many black and Muslim players in the southern French squad.
Galtier: False, distorted or misinterpreted.
According to media reports, Galtier said during the trial that the statements attributed to him were false, distorted or misinterpreted. He had previously vehemently rejected the allegations several times. It was speculated that tensions between Fournier and Galtier may also have played a role. Fournier, who ultimately did not have the best relationship with the coach, emphasized that he was not responsible for the published email containing the allegations. Paris separated from Galtier in the summer. In October he then moved to Qatar to first division club Al Duhail.
