The Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, reacted this Monday to the opening of a preliminary investigation by the Nice prosecutor targeting Youcef Atal for “apology of terrorism”.
“I welcome the opening by the Nice public prosecutor’s office of a preliminary investigation for advocating terrorism and public incitement to hatred or violence based on a specific religion, concerning Youcef Atal. It follows the joint report from Christian Estrosi and the Prefect, with whom I was able to speak yesterday morning,” the government member wrote on social networks this Monday. “I am pleased that the national ethics council of the FFF, as is its role, has taken ownership of the facts. The LFP disciplinary bodies are now seized of the case.”
Targeted by legal proceedings, the Algerian defender from OGC Nice should meet his club leaders this Wednesday, upon his return from selection, to discuss the controversy.
“I was also able to speak with the president of OGC Nice: in the coming hours, an exchange will take place between the player and the club. I will be vigilant with regard to the decisions that will be taken at the end,” added Oudéa-Castéra. Before concluding: “Anti-Semitism, racism or messages of hatred will never have their place in our championship, nor their authors on our lawns or in our stands. And even more so in the current context, sport can have no other purpose than to bring us together.”
If Youcef Atal apologized, many criticisms fell on him. The president of the Republicans and deputy for Alpes-Maritimes, Éric Ciotti, called for his departure from OGC Nice while the National Ethics Council of the French Football Federation also took up the matter.