France Football Federation president Philippe Diallo has condemned José Luis Chilavert after the former Paraguay goalkeeper described Les Bleus as "a
France Football Federation president Philippe Diallo has condemned José Luis Chilavert after the former Paraguay goalkeeper described Les Bleus as “a squad from Africa”.
Diallo took to social media on Saturday to denounce the comments. “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by José Luis Chilavert against the French national team, which undermine the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football,” he wrote, adding a pointed dig at the former goalkeeper’s standing: “If he was once a great goalkeeper, this man has now fallen into disgrace.”
Chilavert, one of Paraguay’s most celebrated footballers, made the remarks in the build-up to the match. He shared a screenshot of comments attributed to former France forward Christophe Dugarry, who had suggested Paraguay had no chance against Les Bleus. Responding directly, Chilavert wrote: “Christophe, you’re right. In 1998 we faced the French, and now PY will face a squad from Africa.”
The comment struck a nerve given France’s well-known diversity, with stars like Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé both children of African immigrants.
Dugarry, for his part, was on the pitch in 1998 when France beat Chilavert’s Paraguay 1-0 in the last 16 en route to their World Cup triumph. History repeated itself on Saturday, with France once again edging out Paraguay by an identical 1-0 scoreline.
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