Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Christophe Galtier and his son have been detained as part of an investigation into racism allegations at one of his former clubs.
Nice prosecutor Xavier Bonhomme told The Associated Press that Christophe Galtier and his son, John Valovic-Galtier, were placed in custody for questioning on Friday morning following allegations of racism.
The allegations first surfaced in the French media in April. Former Nice sporting director Julien Fournier had written an email at the end of the 2021/22 season in which he claimed Galtier had made discriminatory remarks at several members of the Nice squad.
Fournier said;
“He (Galtier) told me that I should take account of the reality of the city and that in effect we should not have as many Blacks and Muslims in the team.
“He told me he wanted to profoundly change the team’s make-up and limit the maximum number of Muslims.”
Fournier had also previously mentioned serious issues with Galtier during an interview with RMC, saying the PSG coach would never be able “to enter a locker room again” if he explained the reasons behind their dispute.
Galtier, who is on his way out at PSG but still under contract, however, denied the allegation at the time.
Fans reacted furiously to the allegations, leading to Galtier reportedly hiring private protection. Neither PSG nor Nice have commented on the accusations of discrimination.
Galtier and Fournier both left Nice last year after working together at the club which is owned by Britain’s second richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe, for just a season.
Galtier eventually secured an appointment with PSG as a coach. He led PSG to another French league title as expected, but PSG was eliminated early in the Champions League and the French Cup by rival Marseille this season. PSG’s form slumped after the World Cup, with 10 losses in 28 games in 2023.
Galtier has one year left on his contract but PSG has reportedly been holding talks with Luis Enrique to replace him in the coming days.