French media outlet L'Équipe has issued an apology to Belgian footballer Jérémy Doku after one of its presenters criticised his intention to leave the World Cup to attend the birth of his first child. The controversy erupted when France Pierron, a presenter on L'Équipe, made remarks on Friday that sparked widespread backlash.
Birth of Praise and Doku's Return
Doku's wife, Shireen, gave birth to a boy named Praise on Monday. The Belgian football federation confirmed that Doku made it back to London in time for the birth. Team doctor Brahim Hacene stated, "Jeremy received news before yesterday's match that the birth was imminent. Everything went perfectly, and the mother, father, and baby are all doing wonderfully. Jérémy will rejoin the squad on Tuesday evening in Seattle."
Pundit's Controversial Comments
Last week, Doku had told reporters that his wife was due in the second week of July and, if Belgium were still in the tournament, he hoped to go home for the birth. "It depends on when it happens, but it's my first child, so I would definitely want to be there," said Doku, a 24-year-old winger for Manchester City. "If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child ... I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations."
France Pierron responded on Friday by citing the "hundreds of footballers who would kill" to be in Doku's place at the World Cup. "You're living out a childhood dream, yet you're going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child – a disgusting moment, if you'll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless. He just holds your hand and takes a photo," she said.
Earlier, one of Doku's former youth coaches, Peter Janssens, also criticised the decision, telling Belgian news site VRT: "It may sound harsh, but if you've chosen to be there, you've chosen to play. The baby will still be there afterwards." Former Belgium international Gert Verheyen mocked Doku's choice, asking what he would do during the birth, saying, "The only thing you can say is: 'You're doing great, keep going.'"
Backlash and Apology
Pierron's remarks went viral, drawing criticism from across the football world and beyond. Caroline Salame, a former Canada Under-17 World Cup player, wrote: "Shame on you. As someone who has played in a World Cup and who has also given birth, let me tell you this: the hardest thing I have ever done in this lifetime – and the thing that I am most proud of – is bringing my baby earthside. And I do not know how I would have done that without my husband beside me. Birth can be extremely complicated; anything can happen."
Brahim Asloum, a retired Olympic gold medalist boxer and fellow L'Équipe commentator, challenged Pierron, describing birth as a unique, once-in-a-lifetime moment. "A baby is your entire life. A World Cup is over when it is over," he said.
Pierron later apologised on social media, stating: "These remarks are solely my own and in no way reflect a collective position. I understand that they may have shocked, offended or hurt some of you, and I am sorry for that. My intention was never to minimise the place or role of fathers with their partners and children."
In a statement on Sunday, L'Équipe distanced itself from Pierron's comments, saying they had "shocked" many viewers. "L'Équipe distances itself with these remarks, which are far removed from its values and apologises to the footballer concerned and more broadly to its audience," it said. It was reported that Pierron would remain off-air until the end of her show's current season on 3 July.
Broader Perspectives
Jeremy Davies of the Fatherhood Institute in the UK commented: "It seems ridiculous to me that we still have these big outrages, when men talk about wanting to do the most basic human thing imaginable, which is to be present when their baby is born." He praised Doku for setting a "refreshing" example, adding: "To me, it's like we haven't moved on from the sort of gladiators in the Colosseum. You know, these kinds of masculine heroes who are supposed to have no softness to them, no family commitments or anything like that. You can be a soft and loving man and hard as nails on the pitch, if you like."
Davies applauded Doku for having the "perspective" to see the broader picture. "In the end, fine – football is important, everybody loves football, everybody gets terribly excited. It's just a job, on some level, too. This footballer gets it, and it seems to me that's a healthy attitude in life. And if more of us had it, maybe the world would be a better place, you know?"
