Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy sparked outrage after saying France's football team had "no French players" ahead of the World Cup semi-final. Leaders in Spain and France condemned the remarks as xenophobic and racist. France defended the diversity of its national team, stressing all players are French citizens and should be judged by talent, not their background.
A former Spanish prime minister has come under fire for saying France's World Cup team had "no French players". In Spain, former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is being criticised after saying France's national football squad had "no French players". Among the criticisms was one from the current Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
And there has been criticism too across the Spanish border in France. The comment, published in an opinion piece in Spanish online news site El Debate, came as Spain prepares to face France in a blockbuster FIFA World Cup semi-final
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