Prosecutors reopen investigation into PSG over alleged discrimination in recruiting

Paris prosecutors are investigating alleged discrimination by Paris Saint-Germain years ago, following a complaint by France’s Human Rights League that club scouts illegally profiled potential recruits based on their origins.

Prosecutors told The Associated Press the investigation was reopened in May. The case is related to events which happened several years ago and was the subject of an initial investigation that was ended in August 2022. The Human Rights League confirmed to the AP it filed the lawsuit.

The prosecutor’s office said it received a new complaint “for discrimination on the grounds of origin, and computerised storage of data revealing racial or ethnic origins.”

French law prohibits the collection of personal data that shows the racial or ethnic origins of individuals.

PSG has previously acknowledged that forms with illegal content were used from 2013-18. But it declined responsibility for implementing the policy after the Mediapart news website reported that scouts were asked by PSG to mention the origin of possible recruits according to four categories: “Francais” (French), “Maghrebin” (North African), “Antillais” (West Indian), and “Afrique noire” (Black African).

The previous investigation was started following an initial complaint by the Human Rights League after PSG said an internal investigation found “no proven case of discrimination.”

The French Football Federation ethics council also looked into the matter and the league’s disciplinary commission later fined PSG 100,000 euros ($109,000).

The league also handed a 10,000-euro suspended fine to former PSG academy director Bertrand Reuzeau. Marc Westerloppe and Pierre Reynaud, who were in charge of PSG’s recruiting, received suspended fines of 5,000 euros.

Mediapart and French TV program “Envoyé Special” said a young black player was overlooked by PSG because of his color. Following an investigation based on the “Football Leaks” documents, Mediapart said 17-year-old midfielder Yann Gboho, who plays for France Under-18s, was disregarded by PSG when he was 13, and the club management decided to cover up “those implicated in the scandal.”

In a separate racism case in 2011, the country’s soccer scene was rocked by revelations from Mediapart that then-national coach Laurent Blanc and others discussed informal quotas limiting black and Arab youth players’ involvement in the national squad.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-soccer