Fakayejo Paul
Paris, France – French Minister of Sports Marie Barsacq has publicly expressed her strong support for French referees, praising their quality and condemning recent acts of intimidation.
In an interview with Le Parisien, Barsacq highlighted the excellence of French referees, citing François Letexier, Clément Turpin, and Stéphanie Frappart as examples of world-class officials. “We have the best referees in the world in France,” she stated. “We must be proud of them.”
Barsacq also addressed the recent incidents of intimidation targeting referees Jérémy Stinat and Benoît Millot, expressing her solidarity with them.
“I salute the waves of support that Jérémy Stinat and Benoît Millot have received, who were victims of intimidation attempts,” she said.
She firmly condemned such behavior, emphasizing that it has no place in either professional or amateur sports.
“These behaviors have no place, neither in the professional world nor in the amateur world,” she declared.
Barsacq reiterated her full support for the French refereeing body, emphasizing their importance to the sport. “I told them when I received them, the French refereeing body has my full support and we need them!” she concluded.
Her comments underscore the French government’s commitment to protecting and supporting referees at all levels of the game.