During the trial which concerned him, Christophe Galtier defended himself against accusations of racism. His words would have been convincing.
Christophe Galtier persists and signs! Present at the Nice criminal court this Friday, the former PSG coach had the opportunity to defend himself against the accusations of racism to which he is the subject. During his trial, he completely denied everything he was accused of. And rather than being on the defensive, he chose the option of attack.
For Galtier, the real racist is Giorgia
When he was heard by the judge, the French technician suggested that he was the victim of a frame-up. In addition to Julien Fournier, the club’s former sporting director, he blames Frédéric Giorgia for this whole affair. In his eyes, it is the latter who is responsible for his fall.
“False and arch-false” declared Galtier during his hearing, alluding to the remarks he would have made against these two Algerian players Houssem Boudaoui and Youcef Atal (“Dirty guys”, according to Giorgia). “If I had made these comments, they would be racist and discriminatoryhe added. I want to go back. When I arrive from Lille, I have to arrive with all of my staff. It turns out that after 24 hours, I was unable to recruit them. And so, Frédéric Gioria came to the staff, he is very close. When I arrive at a club, I rely on someone who knows to feed me about the locker room and the history. In January 2022, I have a discussion with Julien Fournier where I ask him not to work with Frédéric Gioria. Why does Julien Fournier ask me? For incompetence. Point. »
photo credit: Icon Sport
The judge heard “Galette” and instead sided with him, highlighting the inconsistencies in the testimony given by Giorgia to investigators. “We understand that Julien Fournier and Frédéric Gioria talked about all this in April 2022. However, the email (to Ineos) dates from May 2022,” said Alain Chemama, the president of the session. “And in his statements, he says that he learned of the difficulties from the After Foot radio show in September 2022. There is a problem. If he had been there, I would have asked him for details. »
Galtier also mentioned the Todibo case. And he also incriminated Giorgia, suggesting that he was responsible for the conflict he had with the French international. “ On March 26, I discuss the performances with Jean-Clair Todibo. It’s more than a coach-player exchange. Frédéric Gioria is the most racist person I have met in football. Ramadan the year before was a real mess: some slept on the floor.”
“I ask to see Jean-Clair Todibo. I meet him in an office and I talk to him about managing fasting on match day. He looks at me politely. He is a convert, I knew, coming from a rigorous branch. We keep it short and he says to me: ‘Coach. I have a chef who comes to my house. He put all the conditions in place to remain the most efficient. I am not changing my position and will practice fasting on the day of the match.’ I am more than upset because the relationship with my players is that of father-son. »
