A few hours before the highly anticipated clash between OL and PSG at Groupama Stadium, Lucas Chevalier found himself thrust into the heart of a controversy of unexpected magnitude. In question, a simple like left on Instagram, under a publication linked to the National Rally. Very quickly, screenshots circulated, leading to a wave of criticism and accusations against him. The Parisian goalkeeper, recruited this summer for 40 million euros, quickly removed this like, but the damage was already done, and social networks quickly caught fire. In a particularly tense political climate, this act interpreted as a sign of sympathy towards the far right sparked immediate indignation, particularly among Parisian supporters most committed to the left. The public support shown by Eric Ciotti, a far-right MP accustomed to controversies, clearly did not help the wave of criticism against Lucas Chevalier.
On social networks, the anger was immediate. Messages multiplied on X and Instagram, some supporters calling for a boycott of the player, others going so far as to demand his departure from the club and the return of Gianluigi Donnarumma. Virulent insults were uttered, while several members of the Ultras Paris Collective, very attached to anti-racist values, expressed their indignation. PSG, aware of the sensitivity of the subject, tried to calm the situation, preferring to concentrate on the match against OL. But the controversy overshadowed the sporting issues and threatened to disrupt the locker room. In a multicultural team like that of PSG, where cohesion is based on diversity and mutual respect, the slightest ambiguity around these questions becomes explosive.
Knight reacts in the middle of the night
For Lucas Chevalier, this affair comes at the worst time. Already criticized for his inconsistent performances since his arrival, the former LOSC goalkeeper is still struggling to convince the Parisian public. Its adaptation, considered difficult, is now coupled with a climate of mistrust fueled by social networks. However, some observers point out that a like does not necessarily reflect political support and that it can be a harmless or clumsy gesture. Others see it as a symptom of an era where every click becomes a public act, where the slightest careless mistake can ruin a reputation. Faced with the violence of the accusations and the scale of the reactions, Lucas Chevalier finally took the floor to explain himself in the middle of the night around 4:00 a.m. on Instagram: “I was able to see what he could have said about me regarding the fact that I liked a post on Instagram with a political orientation, which I obviously do not share. I’m not trying to convince you, but it’s sad to know that by scrolling and leaving a like without realizing it on a post, you are informed that your image is soiled from top to bottom for an accidental action. It annoys me. The damage is done and things have been pronounced against me. You tried to make me look like a fascist, and it wasn’t just me that you targeted, but my entire family.»
The situation is all the more delicate as Chevalier is now one of the players called up for each international break in the French team, a status which requires him to be impeccable. Following his long message published in an Instagram story, he said he was deeply affected by the judgments made against him, affirming that he did not share: “I would never put myself as a victim, but the limits have been exceeded, and by a long way. In addition, some people use this to make me look like I’m poor in sports when they have no knowledge of the goalie position. They’ve been the same since the beginning, and they enjoy it. Brief. I wanted to apologize for the inconvenience caused, because above all I am the actor. I have always tried to be a good person in everyday life and on the field, and I will continue. I don’t often speak but it was very necessary today because the world we live in has a tendency to go into a tailspin. I really didn’t think one day I would have to explain this completely lunar subject on the networks.“. Through his words, Chevalier attempts to close an open wound, between defense of his integrity and desire for appeasement. It remains to be seen whether this mea culpa will be enough to put an end to the controversy and allow it to refocus.
