PSG coach Galtier, son detained in racism investigation

Christophe Galtier, the coach of French football club Paris Saint Germain (PSG), and his son have been detained for questioning as part of a probe into alleged discrimination.

The move follows an investigation launched in April, following claims that he made racist and Islamophobic remarks about players when he coached OGC Nice in the 2021-22 season.

A statement from the prosecutor on the arrests of Galtier and his son John Valovic-Galtier – a football agent – is expected later on Friday.

Galtier, 56, is set to be fired by PSG after a largely underwhelming season in which the team suffered 10 defeats in 2023 and got knocked out of the Champions League in the last-16.

The reports of discrimination emerged in April after news outlets quoted a leaked email from Nice’s former director of football, Julien Fournier, in which he accused Galtier of saying that there were “too many Black and Muslim players” in the Nice squad.

“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,” claimed Fournier, whose relationship with Galtier was a fraught one.

“He told me he wanted to profoundly change the team’s make-up and limit the maximum number of Muslims.”

Galtier and Fournier both left Nice last year after working together at the club for one season, with the former being appointed by PSG.

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