A former Premier League star is involved in a racism row which is dominating the headlines in French football.
Didier Digard manages Le Havre and has hit out at Toulouse player Aaron Donnum for an alleged ‘disgusting’ racist action towards his Cameroonian star Simon Ebonog.
Norwegian winger Donnum was seen waving his hand in front of his nose while facing Ebonog and claims he just meant to say that his breath smelled bad, as per Le Monde.
English football fans may remember Digard, 39, for his stint in Middlesbrough’s midfield between 2008 and 2011, and he is now building a decent reputation as a coach.
And he said: ‘This is above football. I’m not going to take a position because I can’t interpret what someone is thinking. But at the very least, it’s an insult to my player.
‘If we say it’s not about racism, then what is it? Is it just telling my player he stinks?
Former Middlesbrough player Didier Digard has become involved in a racism row in France
Now Le Havre manager, he has accused Toulouse’s Aron Donnum (pictured) of at least an ‘insult’ towards his player Simon Ebonog – and perhaps racism
‘Where some people come from, we know very well what that means. I get a yellow card for vehemence? We’re not on the right track [Digard had been booked at the end of the game for asking referee Jeremy Stinat for an explanation].
‘Once it’s already been allowed to go unpunished, it’s too late. Letting it go unpunished, then penalizing me for reporting it—that’s not addressing the real issue.
‘Maybe he [Donnum] lost it, maybe he didn’t realize what was happening, I’m not in his head and I don’t want to speculate.
‘My question is how we let this happen, how we tolerate it, at a time when we use VAR for a goal (…). Football is fantastic, but for sharing, for coming together, not for this. This is disgusting.’
Donnum has stood his ground, insisting he had no racist intent.
‘It’s crazy to say I’m racist,’ he began.
‘He comes up to me, I can smell his breath and it smells bad, it has nothing to do with racism.
‘It’s not the first time I’ve done this and I know many of my teammates have done it before: it’s crazy to say it’s a racist gesture.’
Donnum waved his hand in front of his nose while facing Ebonog (above)
Toulouse also released a strongly worded statement defending Donnum, one of their important first-team players.
‘Toulouse Football Club condemns in the strongest possible terms the unfounded and particularly serious accusations made against Aron Donnum, as well as the instrumentalization of the gesture in question,’ the club wrote on X.
‘Nothing could justify such allegations, which harm the integrity of the player and the image of our club.
‘The club reserves the right to take any necessary action to defend its player and the reality of the events.
‘Toulouse Football Club is deeply committed to the fight against all forms of discrimination and works daily for respectful, inclusive, and exemplary football, on and off the field.’
Le Havre, meanwhile, published their own statement calling Ebonog a ‘victim’ and asking why a VAR check was not done to furhter inspect the gesture.
‘The HAC strongly condemns the gesture of which its player, Simon Ebonog, was the victim at the 91st minute of the Toulouse FC – HAC match this Sunday. A gesture evoking whiffs… but which is itself steeped in them and which, surprisingly, was in no way sanctioned,’ they said on X.
‘Only the facts speak, and they do so loud and clear. The HAC demands respect for its player, Simon Ebonog, and for its coach, Didier Digard, who, having pointed out this gesture, was himself sanctioned with a yellow card for “vehemence.”
Le Havre ‘strongly condemned’ the action towards Ebonog and protested against the lack of VAR use for the incident
Touluse rejected the ‘serious accusations’ made against Donnum and said that ‘nothing could justify such allegations’
‘Everyone will appreciate the hierarchy of faults, at a time when technology allows for reviewing every action with the stated aim of avoiding any error. It would be good for this technology to be used beyond the laws of the game.
‘The gesture of which Simon Ebonog was the victim simply has no place on a football pitch. Nor elsewhere, but there are unfortunately much vaster fields on which neither the HAC nor even sport has any hold.
‘The HAC, an engaged club, a civic club, fervently hopes that everything will be done to ensure this gesture is sanctioned for what it is: a gesture that tarnishes the values of respect, of proper conduct, of living together. A gesture that therefore tarnishes football.’
The two clubs, who are separated by 536 miles, played out a 0-0 draw to keep themselves both comfortably sat in mid-table.
Digard is into his second campaign at Le Havre, having kept them up narrowly in their sophomore season back in Ligue 1.
He earned lots of plaudits for an impressive interim spell at Nice in the 222-23 season.
Toulouse are also in their third season back in the top flight and among their ranks is England under-21s defender Charlie Cresswell.
