Xenophobic message from Spain: "France is a great team without the French"

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy stated that &ldquo;France is a great team without the French.&rdquo;The context becomes clearer when considering that Rajoy is a former leader of Spain&rsquo;s influential conservative party. He is also not the first person to target France&rsquo;s dark-skinned footballers during the World Cup. Before him, Paraguayan politician Celeste Amarilla made similar remarks, including calling Mbapp&eacute; &ldquo;a colonized Cameroonian pretending to be French,&rdquo; while also mocking his intelligence.Rajoy&rsquo;s statement drew significant attention, prompting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S&aacute;nchez to address the issue and condemn it from the country&rsquo;s highest office.&ldquo;Some people still judge whether someone belongs to a country based on their surname, place of birth, or skin color. Others judge it based on the depth of their ties to that country and their willingness to give back to it &mdash; by playing football, caring for the elderly, or starting businesses. Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it, not those who bring shame to it with xenophobic statements. France, see you in the semifinal. May the better team win, and may racism be defeated,&rdquo; S&aacute;nchez said.Spanish Foreign Minister Jos&eacute; Manuel Albares also weighed in. He reiterated the same position as S&aacute;nchez, describing Rajoy&rsquo;s remarks as dangerous and adding that &ldquo;all French people, without exception, are our friends, neighbors, and colleagues.&rdquo;Rajoy&rsquo;s comments naturally also reached France.French Interior Minister Laurent Nu&ntilde;ez spoke of &ldquo;completely unacceptable characterizations&rdquo; by the Spanish politician.&ldquo;If this statement is accurate, then it is absolutely unacceptable. It does not in any way reflect what France is,&rdquo; he said in an interview with BFM TV when asked about the controversy surrounding the former Spanish prime minister.The two national teams will meet in another major showdown at a major tournament, this time in the World Cup semifinal, on July 14 in Dallas.Hay quien todav&iacute;a mide la pertenencia por el apellido, el lugar de nacimiento o el color de piel.Otros la medimos por el arraigo a un pa&iacute;s y la voluntad de contribuir a &eacute;l. Jugando al f&uacute;tbol. Cuidando a nuestros mayores. O abriendo negocios.Espa&ntilde;a es de quien la ama y la&hellip;&mdash; Pedro S&aacute;nchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 12, 2026

Xenophobic message from Spain: "France is a great team without the French"

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