Before the kickoff of the match against Germany on Tuesday night, the Blues dropped to one knee.
A strong gesture, symbol of the fight against racism and inherited from the Black Lives Matter movement.
The initiative triggered criticism from the far right and the right, against the backdrop of political recovery a few days before the departmental and regional elections.
The Blues face Germany on Tuesday night for their start of the Euro.
In addition to the composition, the tactics, the historic rivalry against the Mannschaft, the pre-game of the France team was also agitated on a more unexpected ground: the political sphere.
Because the Habs have decided to put one knee on the ground before the kick-off of the match, a symbol of the fight against racism.
Captain Hugo Lloris announced it on the eve of the meeting at a press conference.
This gesture comes from the United States and the Black Lives Matter movement, popularized by football player Colin Kaepernick in 2016. Since the death of George Floyd after a deadly police arrest in May 2020 in the United States, American players have taken the 'habit of repeating this gesture, in support of the movement.
It has since been often seen on European pitches, in the Champions League, but also during preparation matches and during the Euro.
The English did it in particular during the match against Croatia on Sunday (1-1) and were whistled by part of the public.
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A drama which "has no connection with France"
Since the announcement of the Tottenham captain, criticism from the right and the far right has been rising. "Black Lives Matter is a tragedy, but a tragedy which happened in the United States with the American police. The French police never had these drifts", estimated on Europe 1 Thierry Mariani, candidate of the National Rally for the regional ones in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, who say they "regret" this gesture which is also "a political message". He also asserts that it is "yet another operation imported from a foreign country which has no connection with France".
"I think we have to separate sport and politics. Demonstrating against racism is everyone's vocation. Doing it by putting one knee to the ground, by importing quarrels that do not exist in our country , I am a little more dubious ", for his part lamented Pierre-Henri Dumont, deputy Les Républicains du Pas-de-Calais, met Tuesday afternoon in the corridors of the National Assembly.
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"Footix of politics"
“The political footixes are waking up because it's the Euro and because the regional elections are approaching (June 20 and 27). But the Blues have been doing it for more than a year at certain matches. did it during the Black Lives Matter era. They did it again in early June against Wales. Lack of pot, we didn't see it because it was during the commercial break. I don't understand this controversy over something that has already been done by the France team, "said Olivier Pérou, political journalist at
Le Point
, Tuesday evening on Europe 1." They wake up because it is a political campaign, it is a political recovery. What questions me is this patriotism with variable geometry, "he continued.
"What will they say if this team ever wins the Euro?"
"It is important that players who are often victims of racism on the pitch mobilize themselves, even beyond what may have happened in the United States and the symbolism that this gesture can have. (...) The extremes make a small mistake. What will they say if ever this team wins the Euro? Again, it is variable geometry ", supported Emmanuel Duteil, journalist and head of the economy of Europe 1." From moment when we know that it is a gesture against racism, everything is clear and there is no possibility for the opposition, in particular the National Rally, to come and trumpet another message ", for its part declared the political journalist Laetitia Krupa.
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Other deputies, however, welcomed the decision of the Blues.
"It is a salutary decision, a decision that had already taken many players who played in the Champions League," noted LREM deputy Sacha Houlié (LREM), a particularly football fan.
He also insisted on "the exemplary nature shown by football players".
"I do not understand all these people who give rise to controversies on these subjects," he concluded.
On the side of rebellious France, we also applaud the initiative of the players of Didier Deschamps.
"Pardon me for saying it vulgarly, but I think it looks good. I prefer footballers who take positions against racism than people who take their check and never do anything. It's their way of singing. the Marseillaise, "said Alexis Corbière.
The same gesture on Saturday in Budapest?
Will the Blues return to one knee in their next match, Saturday against Hungary (3 p.m.), in Budapest? The stadium will be full and the public hostile. During the match against Ireland in preparation (0-0), the Hungarian supporters had whistled the initiative of the Irish players. President Viktor Orban had estimated that this gesture "had no place on a sports field". "If you are invited to a country, make an effort to understand its culture and do not provoke local residents," he added.