Former Spanish PM under fire for claim French team lacks French players

Spain's conservative former prime minister Mariano Rajoy has ignited a political row with a newspaper column in which he suggested the French national football team has no French players, drawing condemnation from leaders in both countries. Writing in the online newspaper El Debate ahead of Tuesday's World Cup semi-final between Spain and France, Rajoy assessed the opposition's squad with a remark widely seen as racist.

"They also have a very high-level squad. That said, without Frenchmen," Rajoy wrote, as reported by Ara. The comment, which implied that players of immigrant heritage on the French team are not truly French, was published in an article that El Debate said was based on audio notes Rajoy sent them.

AraRajoy's racist comment about the French team: "It has a very high-level squad. That's true, without Frenchmen"

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez swiftly rebuked his predecessor on social media, accusing him of xenophobia. "Spain belongs to those who love and work for it, not those who shame it with xenophobic remarks," Sánchez wrote, according to elcomercio.pe. The current PM's post has gone viral, GiveMeSport reported.

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elcomercio.pePedro Sánchez accuses Mariano Rajoy of xenophobic remarks over French national team commentsGiveMeSportFormer Spain Prime Minister Slammed For 'Disgraceful' Comments About France

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also weighed in, calling Rajoy's statement "absolutely unacceptable," as reported by SportsDesk. The Guardian noted that political leaders in both countries have rebuked Rajoy, who served as Spain's prime minister from 2011 to 2018.

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SportsDeskSpain ex-PM draws criticism with ‘xenophobic’ remark on French teamThe GuardianFormer Spanish PM accused of racism in remarks about French football team

The controversy has escalated into a diplomatic row ahead of the high-stakes match, with New Straits Times reporting that Rajoy faced criticism at home and in France over the remarks. The incident underscores how national team composition can fuel debates about identity and immigration in European politics.

New Straits TimesSpain ex-PM draws criticism with 'xenophobic' remark on French team