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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Sam Jones in Madrid

Former Spanish PM accused of racism in remarks about French football team

Mariano Rajoy makes a pointing gesture as he speaks in parliament
Rajoy, pictured in Spain’s parliament in 2017, made the remarks in a column for El Debate about the World Cup semi-final between the two sides. Photograph: Óscar del Pozo/AFP/Getty Images

The former Spanish conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy is facing growing accusations of racism after writing in a World Cup newspaper column that the French national team “does not have any French players”.

Rajoy, who was in office from 2011 to 2018, pondered Spain’s looming semi-final showdown with France in an article for the online newspaper El Debate on Friday.

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