Calling people ‘racist’ is starting to lose its meaning. Is it not more effective to just shed light on what’s dumb & illogical?

Former Spanish PM is reported in the newspapers this morning to have said the French national football team is not playing French men. Ok. So, instead from jumping in and calling him a racist, why not dissect what he’s saying?
What is the definition of a Frenchman? Who is a Frenchman? Presumably that is a male who happened to be born in France or to parents who happened to be born in France?
Or whichever way the French constitution or French people decide to determine who is French? Right?

Now, in the United States of America, their constitution only allows someone born in the US to be President. That’s their decision. If football want to state that only individuals born in a country can represent that country, fine. But that is not the FIFA ruling. If it was, countries at the World Cup would have to comply

But then, what is sports? What is competition? If the Olympics could ban some countries from competing and allow some athletes to compete under a neutral flag, without a country, then, what’s all the fuss about?

What should be explained to this former Spanish PM, is that if the French wish to field players who are born & raised in France but are not Caucasian, France is allowed to do so, as France see their people as French, if they are born in France or are French. We just had Arthur Fery, a guy born in France to French parents, but raised in the UK, represent the UK at Wimbledon tennis. He has a British passport and relates to the UK as he grew up here, and we are happy for him to represent Britain. That’s our choice.

Now, if one day, the rules are changed – for whatever idiotic reason – to only allow people born in a country, to represent that country, fine. France will still field a bunch of Frenchmen at the World Cup who are not Caucasian, nonetheless, they are as French as any Caucasian Frenchman. That is that. It doesn’t matter how an ex-PM from Spain see it. And there is no point calling him a racist. Just explain it to him. It is that simple.

No foetus decide which womb to come out of. Babies get born wherever the mother happens to be. And if someone grows up in a country and feels to repay that country by representing them in sports, fine. If the rules allow, that’s that. It is that simple.

But more importantly, what really is the argument here? The French can play whoever they choose to play. If they break the rules, address that. If they haven’t (and the simple fact is: they haven’t) people can say whatever they want to say, just words that can be ignored.

What reason would the French National football team have, to not field the best footballers who are born in France, raised in France? Should France not play Mbappe because he is not Caucasian? Is the World Cup a Caucasian World Cup? Is the world filled with just Caucasians?
Even if the World Cup is only for players whose ancestry can be traced to 500 b.c., you will still have a mix of different folk representing each country, if they have the necessary skills.

But piling on and calling the guy a racist (and others who make similar foolish speeches) is pointless. It changes nothing. It is better to just enlighten him. He won’t change his opinion, but at least, he may realise the stupidity of what he’s saying.

The French national football team is made up of French players. It is that simple.