Insults were targeted at the players of the Plaisance-du-Touch U18 women’s team on Saturday.
Published on 11/19/2024 6:13 p.m.
Reading time: 1min
Illustration of a football field, December 2022 (FREDERIC SCHEIBER / HANS LUCAS)
The women’s football club of Plaisance-du-Touch (Haute-Garonne) filed a complaint, after racist and sexist insults uttered against its players, reports France Bleu OccitanieTuesday November 19.
“Whores”, “bugnoules”, niggas” writes the club in a press release, to cite the insults which targeted the players of the U18 women’s team of Plaisance-du-Touch, a town on the outskirts of Toulouse. They were launched on Saturday November 16, during a trip to Lannemezan (Hautes-Pyrénées), on the lawn of Plateau Nestes Football, by supporters of the opposing club, according to the Plaisance-du-Touch club.
“Our players came to play football, their passion is their means of expression, and not to become the target of hatred and verbal violence,” deplores the club. “We strongly condemn these acts and demand that firm and rapid measures be taken by the competent authorities so that this type of behavior is punished in an exemplary manner”continues the press release.
What actions can be taken to address and combat racist and sexist insults in women’s football?
Sure, I’d be happy to assist you with that. Here’s an interview with two guests on the topic of racist and sexist insults targeted at the Plaisance-du-Touch U18 women’s football team:
Guest 1: Emily Thompson, Head Coach of the Plaisance-du-Touch U18 women’s team
Guest 2: Adrian Johnson, Sports Journalist covering women’s football in France
Interviewer: Good evening, I am pleased to be joined today by Emily Thompson, Head Coach of the Plaisance-du-Touch U18 women’s team, and Adrian Johnson, Sports Journalist covering women’s football in France. Thank you both for taking the time to speak with me today.
Emily, can you tell me more about the incident that took place during the match against Lannemezan? What kind of insults were directed towards your players?
Emily Thompson: Of course. As per the club’s press release, our players were subjected to racist and sexist insults like “whores”, “bugnoules”, and “niggas”. It was very disturbing for them to hear such hateful language during what should have been a joyful occasion.
Interviewer: That must have been extremely upsetting for the girls. Adrian, as a sports journalist covering women’s football in France, have you heard of similar incidents before? Is this something that’s becoming more common in the sport?
Adrian Johnson: Yes, unfortunately, these kinds of incidents are not uncommon in women’s football, particularly in France. There have been several examples of racial abuse targeting black players in recent years. However, it’s always concerning to hear about sexist insults as well. The sport is slowly progressing and becoming more diverse, so we can only hope that these incidents become less frequent in the future.
Interviewer: Emily, how did the team respond to the incident? Did anyone report it to the referees or match officials?
Emily Thompson: Yes, our team reported the incident to the referees immediately. The match was paused while the referees spoke to both teams about the situation. However, the abuse didn’t stop there, and it continued even after
