1. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

• by Soccer America , Nov 17, 2006

"On this team, there are nine blacks out of the 11. Normally, there should only be three or four. That would be a reflection of our society. But if there are so many, it's because the whites are useless."
-- French politician Georges Freche on the French national team's lineup. The statement by the president of the southern Languedoc-Roussillon region in the Midi Libre newspaper drew widespread condemnation, including from French President Jacques Chirac ("The republic guarantees the equality of its citizens"), while the Socialist mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, demanded Freche be expelled from the party. Freche's spokesman said Freche did not deny making the comments, but that he did not stand those views. (The Daily Telegraph)