NICE, France (AP) — French soccer club Nice suspended defender Youcef Atal on Wednesday until further notice after he shared an antisemitic message on social media.
Nice said in a statement that it had discussed the issue with Atal and that he apologized.
“The player acknowledged his error by quickly withdrawing the sharing of the publication and has offered a written and public apology,” Nice said. “Nevertheless, given the nature of the publication shared, and its seriousness, the club has made the decision to immediately take the first disciplinary measures against the player, prior to any action that may be taken by sporting and legal authorities. To this end, the club has decided to suspend Youcef Atal until further notice.”
The suspension comes after the Nice public prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation on Monday targeting Atal on charges “of defending terrorism” for sharing the message online. The prosecutor’s office said Atal is also being investigated for “public incitement to hatred or violence because of a particular religion.”
The 27-year-old Atal, who also plays for Algeria’s national team, apologized after reportedly reposting and then deleting a video in which a Palestinian preacher made an antisemitic statement.
French soccer federation president Philippe Diallo said Atal had relayed “appeals for violence” and that the case will be handled by the federation’s ethics committee.
Writing on Instagram, Atal said he understood that his post was shocking to some people and said he condemns all forms of violence, “no matter where in the world.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
2024-12-25 23:151296 view
2024-12-25 22:541187 view
2024-12-25 22:221826 view
2024-12-25 22:012681 view
2024-12-25 21:432140 view
2024-12-25 21:412795 view
We check out a lot of things in a given year: Lots of movies, TV shows, and music. Today, we are hig
Pranay Karkale is spending years of savings and $60,000 in student loans to pursue a master’s degree
Baker Mayfield is staying in Tampa Bay.The quarterback will return to the Buccaneers after a career-