A four-word phrase has sparked an intense political and media row in Spain and France just days before the World Cup semi-final between the two national sides. The phrase "that is, without the French", used by former prime minister Mariano Rajoy in a column published in El Debate, has been interpreted by politicians in both countries as a remark of a racist nature.
In his op-ed (source in Spanish), entitled "Hoy llegó el desquite" ("Today payback arrived"), the former leader of the conservative People's Party (PP) examined Belgium's elimination at the hands of La Roja and Spain's upcoming clash with France. In the piece he described the French national team as a rival "of the very highest level" and a "formidable opponent", before introducing the contentious aside about a team "without Frenchmen", apparently alluding to the fact that many of its players have roots in former French colonies and that some of them, such as Michael Olise and Marcus Thuram, were not born in the country.
