Police in Nice have arrested Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier and his son, John Valovic-Galtier, in connection with an investigation into alleged acts of racial discrimination committed by the coach during his season in charge of OGC Nice in 2021–2022. The inquiry was launched after an email was leaked in which the club’s former sporting director, Julien Fournier, allegedly claimed that Galtier and his son complained about the excessive presence of “black and Muslim” players in the team.
Authorities launched a preliminary investigation for racial and religious discrimination and have conducted interviews with several players and searches of the club’s facilities as part of the process. The leaked email reveals that during a discussion in Fournier’s office, Galtier’s son allegedly reproached him for building a “scum” team, mentioning that his father cried because the team’s performance was not good and claiming that “there are only blacks and half of the team goes to the mosque on Friday afternoons.”
Following the release of this communication, Galtier strongly denied the allegations of making racist and anti-Muslim comments and announced his intention to take legal action for defamation.His lawyer issued a statement expressing Galtier’s surprise at the “insulting and defamatory” statements and noting that the coach now faces threats and harassment. The arrest of Galtier and his son marks an important step in the ongoing investigation into these alleged acts of racial discrimination. Authorities continue to gather evidence and testimony to determine if there are sufficient grounds to file formal charges.