Former Soccer Coach Fined for Racist Comment About Maghrebian Players

This decision follows the remarks made by the coach during a pre-match press conference, where he had declared about his players: "They are no more stupid than Maghrebians". A sentence that had sparked a strong controversy and led to the opening of an investigation for public insult with a racist character.

Absent during the trial, Casoni had already been fired by the Orléans club in October 2023. The prosecutor had requested a fine of 30,000 euros, including 20,000 suspended, but the court ultimately imposed a slightly lower sentence. Several anti-racist associations, such as Sportitude, SOS Racisme, the MRAP and the Licra, had joined as civil parties. They prevailed, the court also ordering Bernard Casoni to pay them damages.

Me Emmanuel Daoud, Bernard Casoni’s lawyer, immediately announced his intention to appeal. He denounces a "trial for example" and claims that his client, who is currently coaching a team in Côte d’Ivoire, never intended to make racist remarks. "Bernard Casoni does not accept this declaration of guilt. It does not correspond to his personal and professional career, nor to his family history, to his values," he said to ici Orléans.