Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier and his family have been put under protection after receiving death threats following allegations of racism, Islamophobia leveled against him.
The coach received almost 5,000 phone calls and messages, some of which contained clear death threats, according to RMC Sport.
PSG has taken action to guarantee the coach’s safety and that of his family. The club is investigating the matter, awaiting the response of INEOS, the owners of OGC Nice.
Galtier has informed PSG that he intends to take legal action against those responsible for making “defamatory and insulting remarks” about him.
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In response to the allegations, PSG released a statement affirming its commitment to combating racism and discrimination.
The club says that it has “been working with relevant associations for many years to address these issues.”
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PSG also clarifies that the allegations “do not involve the club and are from before Galtier’s arrival,” and that the club “fully supports its coach and remains committed to its anti-racism stance.”
The death threats against Galtier come amid accusations of racism leveled against him by Nice’s former director of football, Julien Fournier.
In a leaked email, Fournier accused Galtier of making comments about having “too many black and Muslim players” in his former team.
Galtier denied the allegations and contested them with “the greatest firmness.”
The coach led PSG to a 2-0 away victory over Nice in Ligue 1 over the weekend. However, during a five-game winning streak, local French media outlet Nice-Matin claimed that Galtier asked Muslim players not to observe Ramadan.
The PSG coach denied the accusations, and an investigation has been launched by the club.