Fifa should investigate Argentina taunts of Kylian Mbappe, minister claims
“What is Fifa doing? Sport is about fair play,” Le Maire told Sud Radio. “It’s showing respect for others. It’s showing respect for those who lost.”
The Argentine Embassy in Paris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mbappe, who turned 24 on the day millions took to the streets in the Argentine capital to give a heroes welcome to team captain Lionel Messi, spearheaded a gutsy French comeback by scoring two goals in 90 seconds to force extra time.
He and other players of African descent, who form a majority of the France team, have received torrents of racist abuse from a small minority of supporters on social media.
SOS Racisme, an anti-racism association, has included screenshots of more than 100 hateful comments in a criminal complaint against those behind the remarks
The French Football Federation has done the same.
“It is the expression of a far-right ideology that says that these people should not be considered French,” said Hermann Ebongue, secretary general of SOS Racisme.
He added that the two players who missed their penalties, Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni, received the most abuse and that some of the players had deactivated the comments on their social media accounts.
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The maximum penalty for racist abuse online is one year in prison and a 45,000 euros ($47,839.50) fine.
SOS Racisme had already asked Fifa to take action against Argentina fans who sang a racist song about Mbappe and the France team before the start of the tournament and is studying images coming out of Argentina now for any signs of racism.
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