The written constitution of a republic is a text that gives it a sense and life. That of France, despite the changes in regimes and political majorities of both the Fourth and Fifth Republics, has begun with the same preamble since 1946. That is in itself an indication of the importance of those opening words, which describe solemn principles that cannot be violated.
Article One of the constitution begins: "France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic. It ensures the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction of origin, race or religion. It respects all beliefs."
It was after two world wars, the eruption of barbarianism within the heart of European culture and civilization, after millions of deaths, genocides, massacres and crimes against humanity that those words became inscribed at the top of the French constitution. Indivisible, the French republic grants the same rights to every citizen, wherever they may be, in Paris or overseas, born in Europe or Africa, of foreign descent or of ancient French stock.
Far from signifying a rejection of faiths, the secularity of the republic signifies a respect of all beliefs in all their diversity, including Islam. The French constitution's inseparable democratic and social ambitions demand the equality of all citizens, whatever their "origin, race or religion".
That is why no authority, and notably no court of law, could allow the practice of a selection of French citizens according to their foreign origins, their skin colour or the religion they practice. It is also what underlines the importance of Mediapart's investigation into the discussions behind closed doors by leading figures of the French Football Federation (FFF). Those discussions involved a plan to organize active discrimination in the recruitment of players based on criteria of their origins, race and religion.
Using the pretext that one day they could leave to play for another national team, young French players of foreign origin were judged to be less French than others, less loyal, whatever their aptitude and skills. Upon the pretext that teams should now favour technical competence above physical power, it was envisaged that young French players of African origin should be distanced from the recruitment process, based on the racialist approach that the colour of their skin denotes a specific type of human. On the pretext that Muslim players are troublemakers, French youths of Islamic faith could be barred from team selection, their beliefs and culture reduced to asides about "Islamists" or "Saracens".
An investigation based on proof
That, tersely, is what our investigation revealed. Our information is not limited to the official meeting in Paris of the French Football Federation's National Technical Board (DTN) on November 8th 2010, and about which we have published verbatim extracts. Our sources, shocked by the moves and unable to block them, provided information concerning other meetings, events and comments.
In our first article, we referred to a DTN conference held in Ouistreham, Normandy, between July 18th and 21st 2010, and an official meeting held this year on March 18th. The information from our sources was mirrored in the euphemisms contained in public statements made by the officials cited.
Mediapart publicly revealed what a great many football professionals already knew, scented or guessed. French Minister of Youth and Sports, Chantal Jouanno, immediately recognised the thoroughness of our investigation and the gravity of what it disclosed. For within 24 hours of publication of our first article she launched a ministerial investigation into the revelations and demanded that the FFF conduct its own enquiry. This weekend, after we had next published the verbatim account of the DTN November 8th meeting, she obtained the immediate suspension from his duties of DTN director François Blaquart, followed by an offering of contrite public excuses by France team coach Laurent Blanc.
Both men, and notably the latter, lied on Friday April 29th when they maintained that they had never heard of the projects exposed by Mediapart. The publication by our website the following day of the transcription of their closed-door meeting in November shattered their first defence.
But a second line of defence was quickly erected and relayed by those who read the story too quickly; Mediapart was accused of leading a detestable campaign of denegation against France's football chiefs by accusing them of racism. We in fact never used the description of racism, but rather and more precisely employed the terms ‘discrimination' and ‘segregation'. This second line of defence included the claim that what was discussed by the DTN staff was in fact an economic problem, that of the exodus from French football of players with dual nationality whom it had trained, and also a technical problem regarding the game, concerning the profile of players.
Mediapart has demonstrated how these are false pretexts, a disguising of the discrimination that, according to the very words uttered by François Blaquart himself during the DTN meeting last November, had to be kept secret. "We could trace, on a non-spoken basis, a sort of quota," he said then. "But it must not be said. It stays as action only. There you are, we be careful. We have the lists, at some point in time..." Not only does neither the economic nor the technical argument stand up to a factual analysis, they also illustrate the subject of our revelations: how even informed minds can be made insensitive to discrimination and an effacing of our values.
When the photos of some 20 amateur teams made up of 15 year-olds were shown to a DTN meeting on March 18th last, presented to demonstrate the new target to be met, there was no talk of nationality, but rather appearance. What was underlined was the number of black or Arab types, at an age when they all dream to play for France and when the question of an alternative nationality is obviously not one they are asking, nor will it ever be one most of them will ever ask.
But furthermore, let's not forget that every French citizen has the right to move, to evolve, to change and roam the world. Is not the success of our talents abroad a source of national pride, an illustration of our desire for other things and our taste for others? Who would express astonishment at engineers, doctors, IT experts, lawyers or bankers who leave France to work in another country where they might even, occasionally, end up adopting the nationality?
It is the image that appears in the mirror handed to us by this story of discrimination that is detestable, not Mediapart's revelations (which, let us hope, will ultimately serve to wipe that apparition away). It is not the French republic that is portrayed here but rather its opposite; a country which accepts, at the heart of its most popular sport, that its own youngsters are the subject of a selection process that targets their foreign origins, their black skins or their Muslim faith.
The French football chiefs who set off this infernal machine do not consider themselves racist, and we at Mediapart never accused them of being so. But, whether through ignorance or thoughtlessness, they play the game of racists by capitulating to a tendency among current times, themselves detestable, one which sets out a hierarchy among the French population according to their origins, appearances or beliefs.
Beyond making known the truth, Mediapart has one aim in this affair; that the whistle is blown to end this sick game, and that the occasion becomes the opportunity to lift our nation up from the depths into which it has fallen with a pedagogical reflection upon its republican values and constitutional principles.
Our team investigation is based on proof and witness statements. We remain at the disposition of the FFF's own enquiry, placed under the authority of Member of Parliament Patrick Braouezec, to help it with its mission and, in the process, sound a wakeup call to rid France of this dreadful nightmare.
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English version and editing: Graham Tearse