“I would have liked him to be in this room”: Julien Fournier, absent very present at the Galtier trial

We contacted him this Wednesday. Julien Fournier, former football director of OGC Nice, did not wish to confirm or deny his presence at the trial of Christophe Galtier. The surprise was not huge this Friday morning when at 8:30 a.m., the time at which the former Paris Saint-Germain coach was summoned before the Nice criminal court, we did not come across him.

Christophe Galtier, “determined” according to his lawyers, and eager to be able to express himself, arrived a little early, accompanied by his two lawyers, Me Olivier Martin and Me Sébastien Schapira. Not far from him, there were some of his relatives, including his wife, whom he mentioned several times during the day, including once with great emotion, as the affair had consequences on his safety and that of from his family.

“He hates Galtier, is here to kill him”

“He is finally awaiting this public and contradictory debate, where he will demonstrate that he has obviously never discriminated or harassed anyone,” his lawyers had warned the day before. Christophe Galtier reaffirmed this this Friday. If he was “not happy” to be there, he said he was “relieved” to be able to express himself, to be able to tell his truth.

“When I presented myself at this police custody in June, I quickly understood that everything was being done against me,” said the person concerned. It lasted ten hours and I shut down. I am relieved to be able to provide details today that I was unable to provide during my hearing. » But the French technician had one regret: that Julien Fournier did not make the trip.

“I would have liked Mr. Fournier to be here today! Instead of staying in Aix or I don’t know where, I would have liked him to be in this room,” repeated the man who now officiates in Qatar. His lawyers too, who did not mince their words about him. “I have the weakness to think that Julien Fournier is a very intelligent person, a football expert. The investigators did not know football, and Julien Fournier took them for a ride,” lamented Sébastien Schapira who, on several occasions, deplored an investigation “manipulated” by the manager, “judge and referee”, “who hates Galtier, is there to kill him.”

Above all, Galtier holds him responsible for the security problems he has encountered in recent months. “My life has changed since (the release of his email). And not just mine, that of my family too, he explained during his custody presented this Friday by the court. I received thousands of messages, insults and death threats with Allahou akbar and We will catch you with a Kalashnikov. »

Defamation proceedings initiated against Fournier

The minutes read in turn this Friday recalled the central place of the former faithful of Pape Diouf in this affair. Even Jean-Pierre Rivère, who had nevertheless opposed the arrival of Galtier in the summer of 2021, regretted the behavior of Julien Fournier in front of the investigators. “What bothers me is that when Julien Fournier understood that he was going to lose his position, he decided to kill Christophe Galtier professionally.”

While waiting for the release requested by his lawyers – it will be set for December 21 while the prosecution has requested a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 45,000 euros – the French technician is keeping his revenge in mind. “Julien Fournier was not at this hearing but he will not escape the one where he must be held accountable for defamation,” concluded Mr. Olivier Martin. Christophe Galtier and his counsel have in fact initiated proceedings against him, as well as against journalists Romain Molina and Daniel Riolo.