Asked about the controversy during a press visit to the “rugby village”, the fan zone set up at Place de la Concorde for the kick-off of the World Cup on Friday, the former player of the Stade Français and the XV of France explained that he wouldn’t have made that choice: “It’s a complicated subject. I know the story very well because I know of players he attacked. Personally, I don’t think I would have taken him in the group that was preparing for the World Cup.
The chosen one then added: “Now it is the choice of the France team. He is presumed innocent, at least on the qualification of racist acts. Before concluding: You have to respect the presumption of innocence but yes, it is problematic”.
Bastien Chalureau, called on Friday to replace Paul Willemse, injured, was sentenced in 2020 by the Toulouse Criminal Court to a six-month suspended prison sentence for “acts of violence with the circumstance that these were committed because of race or ethnicity of the victim”. He appealed against this judgment.
