Jokes about French football team’s race
When France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Noah said while addressing dark-skinned players in the team, “I get it, they have to say it’s the French team. But look at those guys. You don’t get that tan by hanging out in the south of France, my friends. Basically if you don’t understand, France is Africans’ backup team.” Gérard Araud, the French Ambassador to the US, wrote in a condemnation letter, “Unlike the United States of America, France does not refer to its citizens based on their race, religion or origin. For us, there is no hyphenated identity, the roots are an individual reality. By calling them an African team, it seems that you are denying their Frenchness.” In response, Noah said he was trying to celebrate the players’ African heritage, rather than denying their Frenchness.
(Photograph:Others)