The Dønnum affair is setting Ligue 1 alight. Sunday evening during the draw between Toulouse and Le Havre (0-0), the Norwegian midfielder was accused of having mimed a racist gesture towards Simon Ebonog. In the 91st minute, after a physical duel, Dønnum waved his hand in front of his nose while staring at the Le Havre defender. A gesture interpreted as a mimic meaning “you stink”, with a clearly discriminatory connotation according to the Norman camp.
Le Havre steps up to the plate
Didier Digard did not mince his words after the meeting. “ What I saw today is intolerable,” said the Le Havre coach at the Ligue 1+ microphone. “If we say it’s not racism, what is it? Can we say things like that when we’re just here to play football? »
Captain Abdoulaye Touré hit the nail on the head: “This is unacceptable and I hope that it will be reviewed and sanctioned. » Goalkeeper Mory Diaw was even more virulent on Instagram: “Doing that in front of a young player makes you think you’re a good guy? »
The Norman club published a press release during the night, condemning “firmly gesture” and calling on the authorities to act. Mathieu Bodmer, sports director of the HAC, confirmed having asked the match delegates to include the incident in their report.
Dønnum in turmoil: up to 10 matches suspended!
Dønnum defends himself
The Norwegian firmly denied any racist intentions. “ It’s very crazy to say that. I do it like this because it smells bad. It has nothing to do with racism,”
he declared in the mixed zone. “I grew up in an environment where there were all types of people. To me, that’s crazy to say. »
Toulouse published a press release to defend its player, denouncing “unfounded and particularly serious accusations” And
“the instrumentalization of the gesture in question”. Dønnum’s teammates overwhelmingly showed their support on social media.
Up to 10 match suspension
The FFF ethics committee, chaired by Frédéric Thiriez, took up the matter and referred the matter to the LFP disciplinary committee. The exam could take place on November 12. According to the regulations, any discriminatory action is punishable by a 10-match suspension.
If the sanction falls, Dønnum, already suspended one match for accumulating cards, would not play again before 2026. The case highlights the zero tolerance displayed by the French authorities against racism. The verdict will be closely scrutinized.
