In Rueil-Malmaison
Since the start of the World Cup, the French XV has been at the heart of extra-sporting controversies. First there was the Bastien Chalureau affair, convicted of violence and racist insults (he appealed), whose place in the French team was called into question. And in recent days, it is the front page of the magazine Valeurs Actuelles which has caused a lot of ink to flow. The actor Jean Dujardin, who organized the opening ceremony of the World Cup, and the captain of the Blues, Antoine Dupont, took a stand by publishing this message on Instagram: “France rugby yes, your values no. No recovery. THANKS.”
Questioned this Sunday at a press conference, the three-quarter center of the Blues, Gaël Fickou, replied that he was not interested in these extra-sporting turmoil. “I didn’t even know it (this front page of Valeurs Actuelles). We don’t look at politics, we focus on ourselves. There is obviously a lot of interest around us but we are “focused” on rugby. The rest does not affect us,” he insisted.
In an interview with Le Figaro, the Racing 92 player recently confided: “If Senegal runs through my veins, it’s my second country. Because I am madly in love with France, I am patriotic to the highest degree. I think we are so lucky to be French. My heart does not swing between these two countries. I’m 100% French!” For its third match of the World Cup, France faces Namibia on Thursday (9 p.m.) at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
