Lens Condemn Racist Abuse Targeting Saint-Maximin After Family Harassment in Mexico
French football club Lens have issued a strong condemnation of the racist abuse directed at their new signing, Allan Saint-Maximin, following a disturbing incident of harassment against the player's children that prematurely ended his career in Mexico's top flight.
Social Media Flood of Hateful Insults
Lens confirmed on Tuesday that Saint-Maximin had been subjected to a "flood of hateful and racist insults" across various social media platforms. In response to this unacceptable behaviour, the club has been forced to take immediate action by closing comment sections on certain posts. Lens have pledged to continue implementing all necessary measures to ensure their social media channels remain safe and respectful spaces for expression.
The club released an official statement reaffirming their commitment to fundamental values: "As a civic-minded and committed club, Racing reaffirms its attachment to the values of respect and tolerance, and stands alongside Allan and his loved ones, offering its full support."
Family Targeted in Mexico Leading to Departure
This latest incident follows Saint-Maximin's recent departure from Mexican side Club América, where he cited racist abuse targeting his children as the primary reason for terminating his contract. The 28-year-old French winger had joined Club América last August on a two-year deal but played just sixteen league matches before making the difficult decision to leave.
Neither Saint-Maximin nor Club América provided specific details about the nature of the attacks on his children, but the player made his position unequivocally clear in a powerful social media statement last week: "The problem is not the colour of skin, it's the colour of thoughts. I am being attacked, that's not a problem. I have grown up, I have learned to fight against attacks. But there is one thing I will never tolerate, and that is attacks on my children."
Saint-Maximin's Strong Response to Family Threats
The footballer, who moved to Mexico with his wife and three children—two daughters named Lyana and Ninhia and a son named Dayde—after a one-year stint with Turkey's Fenerbahçe, delivered a defiant message to those responsible for targeting his family: "To those who dared to go after my children, let me say this: you made a mistake. I will always fight to protect my family, and there is no person and no threat that will ever frighten me. The only one I fear on this earth is God."
Saint-Maximin, a former France youth international with experience at prominent clubs including Saint-Étienne, Monaco, Nice, and four seasons with Newcastle United in the Premier League, recently joined Lens on a six-month deal during the winter transfer window. His return to French football has been overshadowed by these disturbing incidents of racism, highlighting the ongoing challenges football faces in combating discrimination both on and off the pitch.
The situation underscores how racism continues to plague football at multiple levels, affecting players' careers and personal lives, with families becoming unintended targets in these deplorable campaigns of hatred.
