Claude Leroy Slams Willy Sagnol Over Controversial Remarks on African Players
Veteran French coach Claude Leroy has delivered a scathing rebuke of Bordeaux manager Willy Sagnol following the latter’s controversial comments about African footballers. Speaking during an online Q&A with readers of Sud Ouest, Leroy expressed deep disappointment at Sagnol’s generalisations regarding African players’ footballing profiles.
“It’s sad coming from someone like Willy Sagnol,” said Leroy, currently the coach of DR Congo’s national team. “He once held responsibilities with the national youth teams, and his remarks echo sentiments we’ve unfortunately heard before from within the national technical directorate.”
Sagnol, a former France international and Bayern Munich defender, came under fire after appearing to suggest African players were more athletic but lacked tactical intelligence. His remarks were widely condemned as reductive and offensive.
Leroy didn’t hold back in his criticism. “Perhaps he’s been reading the Dakar speech or taking advice from Patrick Buisson or Jean-Marie Le Pen,” he said, referencing figures associated with far-right ideology in France. “It’s terrible.”
Drawing on the history of African excellence in French football, Leroy reminded Sagnol of the legacy of African players at Saint-Étienne—Sagnol’s former club. “Among the great minds of Saint-Étienne were players like Eugène N’Jo Léa, an exceptional intellectual who became an ambassador, Salif Keita, a former Malian government minister, and Roger Milla, arguably one of the greatest players in the world.”
“It’s disgraceful to reduce African players to outdated stereotypes,” Leroy continued. “Especially coming from someone who’s just beginning his coaching career, and who, frankly, has yet to achieve anything of note.”
Leroy also urged French football authorities to address the incident: “I hope the football ethics bodies, which we often hear about, will respond and push him to clarify—or better yet, retract—his comments.”
However, not everyone in Bordeaux saw the comments in the same light. Club president Jean-Louis Triaud acknowledged the controversy but downplayed the severity of Sagnol’s remarks. Though he admitted being saddened by the backlash, Triaud stated he did not believe the coach had said anything inappropriate.
The debate has reignited concerns around racial and cultural stereotypes in European football, particularly when discussing players from Africa. As calls grow for more accountability and sensitivity in public discourse, all eyes will now be on how the French Football Federation and Sagnol himself respond.
