Algeria's Youcef Atal suspended by Nice over antisemitic social media post
Posted : 18 October 2023
Nice, the French club, has suspended Algeria defender Youcef Atal following his alleged posting of an antisemitic video related to the Israel-Gaza conflict on social media. Atal, aged 27, has since deleted the Instagram post and issued an apology.
Legal authorities have opened a preliminary investigation, and Atal faces charges related to "defending terrorism" and "public incitement to hatred or violence because of a particular religion." The French Football Federation's ethics council is also conducting an investigation. Similarly, Netherlands winger Anwar El Ghazi has been suspended by his club, Mainz, due to a social media post about the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The club, Nice, stated that they suspended Atal "until further notice," emphasizing the seriousness of the matter despite his prompt acknowledgment of the error and public apology.
The French Football Federation president, Philippe Diallo, underlined that hate speech contradicts the ethics of the sport and its core values, emphasizing the need to combat such actions. Atal, a player with 31 caps for Algeria, had featured in six Ligue 1 matches for Nice during the current season.
ADD A COMMENT :
Hot Topics
User name is required Email Id is required Comment is required
ADD A COMMENT :