In an email revealed by Daniel Riolo on RMC show l’After Foot on Tuesday night – and first disclosed by journalist Romain Molina earlier in the evening – serious accusations are made by Julien Fournier, Nice’s former Director of Football, against manager Christophe Galtier during their time at OGC Nice. According to the email, Galtier notably told Fournier that the team “could not have so many blacks and Muslims in the team.”
Per RMC’s report, the email was sent by Fournier to INEOS director Dave Brailsford, and details a conversation between Fournier and Galtier, after the former had met with the latter’s agent. Part of the email is believed to be as follows: “He (Christophe Galtier) told me that I had to take into account the ‘reality of the city’ and that we couldn’t have so many blacks and Muslims in the team. He said to me ‘Last night, I went to the restaurant and everyone came down on me to say that we have a team of blacks’ then added ‘Julien, you must realise what city we are in, we’re in the city of [former mayor] Jacques Médécin. Our team does not reflect to what people want, just as it does not reflect myself’.”
Fournier had previously hinted at serious issues with Galtier during an interview on RMC earlier in the season, indicating issues beyond the scope of football. but had not provided any specifics. The email obtained by l’After Foot – which Riolo says was not sent to him by Fournier himself – gives a troubling account of the disagreement. The PSG coach has not yet responded to the alleged details of the email.
He did, however, speak about the initial comments made by Fournier at a press conference back in September, stating that he was not surprised by the way in which he had been characterised and that he did not want to engage in a debate on the matter.