It has come to light that the Paris Saint-Germain coach, Christophe Galtier has been summoned to stand trial in December as part of an investigation into racism allegations at his former club Nice, a prosecutor said on Friday.
Sir Dave Brailsford was expected to be interviewed as a witness by French police investigating allegations that the Paris Saint-Germain head coach, Christophe Galtier, made racist comments while manager of Nice.
A leaked email apparently sent to Brailsford in May 2022 by Julien Fournier, Nice’s then-director of football, was published last week and purported to show that Galtier had complained to Fournier in August 2021 that he “could not have so many blacks and Muslims in the team”.
Christophe Galtier to face trial in December
Christophe Galtier and his son, John Valovic-Galtier, were placed in custody for questioning on Friday morning. After his son was released without charge, Galtier was referred to the public prosecutor’s office. He will stand trial in Nice on 15 December on charges of psychological harassment and discrimination, the prosecutor Xavier Bonhomme posted on Twitter.
If found guilty, Christophe Galtier risks a maximum sentence of three years in jail and a fine of €45,000 euros (£38,700). The 56-year-old has denied accusations that he made racist and anti-Muslim comments while in charge of Nice when the scandal broke earlier this year.
Bonhomme said at the time a preliminary investigation had been opened into “discrimination on the grounds of alleged race or religion”. He said it was being handled by Nice police with searches of the club’s headquarters.
The 56-year-old Galtier led PSG to another French league title as expected, but the team were eliminated early in the Champions League and from the French Cup by Marseille. The team’s form slumped after the World Cup, with 10 losses in 28 games in 2023, and fans turned on stars such as Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Galtier has a year left on his contract in Paris. However, the club has reportedly been holding talks with the former Spain and Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique, to replace him in the coming days.
