Rennes (AFP)
FC Nantes denounced Tuesday death threats and racist insults on social networks against his midfielder Imran Louza, assuring that such remarks had their place "neither on a football field, nor outside".
These comments were published by an Internet user after Nantes' defeat against Nice (2-1), which makes the threat of relegation to Ligue 2 ever more serious. They have been deleted by the platform but are still circulating via a capture of screen made by a journalist to denounce them.
"This is not the first time that members of the club have received this kind of attack, which we strongly condemn. We will not relax our efforts to put an end to this", explained FC Nantes, "deeply shocked", in a statement.
"My relatives and I are touched and extremely saddened. We cannot accept this and a procedure will be put in place," Imran Louza added in a statement on social networks.
The club for its part is working with the Professional Football League (LFP) and social networks to report and try to block the perpetrators, added a spokeswoman to AFP.
Supporting Louza and his family, FC Nantes said they were counting on "the Yellow and Green supporters, fundamentally attached to the humanist values of football, to do the same".
Since Monday, Imran Louza has received many messages of support, including a tweet from the union of professional players in France, the UNFP.
"Shocked by the threats and racist insults against Imran Louza, the UNFP supports the player and his club," tweeted on Tuesday the organization representing the players who "wishes to work with the LFP and all the parties concerned to put an end to these gratuitous outbursts of hatred and violence ".
While some comments evoked the disappointment of the supporters at the club's results, the 21-year-old midfielder, born and trained in Nantes, promised him in his press release: "We will fight until our last breath so that this great club that is FC Nantes remains in L1 ".
© 2021 AFP