Allan Saint-Maximin: Children ‘don’t have to accept’ racial abuse
BBC Sport
Newcastle United star speaks out against racism
By Ciaran Kelly, Newcastle United reporter
Published 10 minutes ago
Allan Saint-Maximin has opened up about the racial abuse his children faced, stating that "whatever your colour is, you don’t have to accept this."
The French winger, known for his time at Newcastle United and subsequent move to Lens, shared a powerful message on Instagram in January, expressing his outrage against discrimination. His post gained over 159,000 likes, including support from former team-mates Kieran Trippier and Joelinton.
While Saint-Maximin refrains from sharing specific details, he reveals that incidents occurred during his time at Mexican club Club America, where "some stuff happened with my kids in the school." He emphasized that it was important to address this issue publicly.
"I explained to the kids what happened was not normal and they knew already," Saint-Maximin says. "They were not really happy about that… After, when we moved to Lens, it was good but you see some stuff and you are like, ‘in every place, there are some things different or some things you are not going to like’."
Support from Club America
Club America issued a statement offering their full support to Saint-Maximin and his family, condemning the racial abuse. His team-mates even held up a ‘No to Racism’ banner in solidarity.
"It was not the fault of Club America," he clarifies. "I have nothing against them, the players or the Mexican people. I love the club… It’s just some random people say some stuff and try to attack your family."
A Difficult Decision
Saint-Maximin acknowledges that leaving Club America was a challenging choice for him and his family but emphasizes his commitment to standing against racial abuse.
"It was important to show to people, especially in my situation, that I can lose a lot of things, but I will never accept this," he adds.
Since then, Saint-Maximin has joined Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer, continuing his family’s tradition of following him across the globe.
