Paris Saint-Germain supremo Christophe Galtier threatened legal action over allegations that he made racially offensive remarks to one of his bosses while he was coaching the Ligue 1 outfit Nice.
Galtier, who left Nice last summer to take up the post of head coach at PSG, was drawn into the furore when the French broadcaster RMC Sport and the independent journalist Romain Molina reported that Julien Fournier, the former Nice sporting director, had sent an email to the owners questioning the views of Galtier over the composition of the squad.
Fournier wrote that Galtier had said that Nice could not have so many black and Muslim players in the first team.
Galtier’s lawyer, Olivier Martin, said his client strongly contested the accusations.
“My client has taken note with astonishment of the abusive and defamatory remarks,” Martin said.
On Wednesday night, Nice released a terse statement: "The facts reported concern two people who no longer work for OGC Nice. This situation was treated with the utmost seriousness at the time of the facts. The club will not comment further.”
PSG fan group Collectif Ultras Paris said on social media that it wanted Galtier dismissed if the allegations were proved to be true.
Notre position concernant l'affaire #Galtier pic.twitter.com/DWWspEQFCv
— Collectif Ultras Paris (@Co_Ultras_Paris) April 12, 2023
"We hold a line against all forms of discrimination and this fight is a longstanding value of the supporters in our stand,” it said in a statement.
PSG has refused to comment on the allegations.
On Saturday night, the club hosts second-placed Lens at the Parc des Princes.
Victory for the visitors would cut PSG's lead at the top of the table to three points, with seven games of the Ligue 1 season remaining.
