“I was heard a few days ago, I don’t want to comment,” he explained on Monday, asked by AFP.
For his part Christophe Galtier, current coach of Paris Saint-Germain, has not yet been heard by the courts, according to a source familiar with the matter on Monday.
Several Nice players and leaders such as club president Jean-Pierre Rivère, as well as current coach Didier Digard were also heard by the investigators.
Christophe Galtier is suspected of having made discriminatory, racist and Islamophobic remarks during his year at the head of OGC Nice (2021-2022).
“I am deeply shocked by the comments that I am given, relayed by some in an irresponsible way”, had reacted Galtier in a press conference after the outbreak of the case, in mid-April.
In an e-mail addressed to the management of the Nice club revealed by the independent journalist Romain Molina then RMC, Fournier, with whom Galtier had an execrable relationship, notably reported these remarks attributed to the PSG coach: “He told me then replied that I had to take into account the reality of the city and that indeed, we could not have so many blacks and Muslims in the team” and “He told me of his desire to change in depth the team, also specifying that he wanted to limit the number of Muslim players as much as possible”.
A preliminary investigation was opened by the Nice prosecutor’s office for suspicions of “discrimination based on an alleged race or belonging to a religion” and searches were carried out at the headquarters of OGC Nice.