French soccer giants Paris Saint-Germain yesterday faced an angry backlash after coach Christophe Galtier and star player Kylian Mbappe mocked a suggestion that they should take the train rather than private planes for short-haul travel.
PSG on Sunday notched up an easy 3-0 away victory against Nantes to stay top of Ligue 1 on their trip to the western French city, which is a modest 380km from Paris.
The Qatar-owned side boasted on social media that they had made the return trip with shirt sponsors Qatar Airways, but their travel choices have come under increased scrutiny over their carbon footprint.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“Paris-Nantes is less than two hours by TGV,” Alain Krakovitch, chief executive officer of state-owned railway company SNCF’s TGV high-speed passenger trains, wrote on Twitter.
“I renew our proposal for a TGV offer adapted to your specific needs in line with our common interests — safety, speed, services and eco-mobility,” he wrote.
However, during Monday’s news conference ahead of the Parisians’ UEFA Champions League home game against Juventus, Galtier made light of the criticism, while Mbappe bent double in uncontrolled laughter beside him in apparent incredulity over the controversy.
“We had a chat with our travel organizers earlier to see if we can travel by sand-yacht,” Galtier said, of the sailed beach buggies popular on certain French beaches.
“Mr Galtier — we have become accustomed to more relevant and more responsible answers from you. Shall we talk about it?” French Minister for Sport Amelie Oudea-Castera wrote on Twitter.
Commenting on how Mbappe guffawed, French Minister of Finance Bruno le Maire said: “I adore Mbappe and it can happen to all of us that we burst out laughing at the wrong moment, and I think this was the wrong moment to burst out laughing.”
“We must all take climate change seriously,” he told BFM-TV. “It is serious, it is about our planet and about our ability to live on this planet.”
Le Maire added that Galtier’s ironic response was also “inappropriate.”
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who is waging a crusade to reduce vehicle traffic in the capital’s center, wrote on Twitter: “It’s not on to answer stuff like that???? Wake up guys??? This is Paris.”
The RMC Sport channel reported that PSG travel to games by plane, but also by coach.
The team went by road to a recent clash with LOSC Lille, and might also take the bus to upcoming matches in Auxerre, Troyes and Reims which are not far from Paris, RSC Sport said.
The La Parisien daily said that the team did not see rail travel as a viable option due to security concerns and problems of traveling by train at night.
“It is not the coach who deals with travel management, but he takes the subject very seriously, like everyone at the club,” a club source, who was not named, told RMC.
The controversy comes against the background of a growing clamor in France from ecologists for restrictions on private jet travel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets on Saturday did not disappoint in a thrilling midseason matchup in front of a fired-up sellout crowd of more than 18,500 fans. The top two teams in the NHL delivered with a combined nine goals, including the 877th of Alex Ovechkin’s career to put him 18 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. That tied the score, the Jets pulled it out in overtime and just about everyone involved got their money’s worth out of the 5-4 game. “We knew how we were both sitting in the standings and both having real good years,” Winnipeg coach Scott
BACK-TO-BACK: The League One club, which is owned by stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is sparing no expense to clinch promotion to the Championship Hollywood endings are pricey, even in England’s third division. In pursuit of their third straight promotion, Wrexham AFC splashed some cash at League One rival Reading to secure the services of striker Sam Smith. The Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney confirmed the signing of the 26-year-old Smith on Friday. He is one of the top scorers in the third division. The transfer fee was not disclosed, but British media widely reported it to be about ￡2 million (US$2.48 million) — not extravagant, but a hefty price at this level and it would be about the same figure that
Less than a week after splashing out a world-record fee for Naomi Girma, Chelsea has spent big again to bring England midfielder Keira Walsh back to the English Women’s Super League. Walsh left European champions Barcelona after more than two years to join Chelsea for a reported ￡400,000 (US$496,000) on Friday. Walsh was the world’s most expensive player for two years after moving to Barcelona from Manchester City for a reported ￡400,000 in 2022. That status now belongs to Girma, the US defender who cost Chelsea a reported ￡900,000 to sign from the San Diego Wave. Still, it means 27-year-old Walsh — a technically
RSS