Marcus Thuram defends call to reject far-right National Rally | OneFootball

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Marcus Thuram (27) explained why the France team felt it needed to speak out against the National Rally ahead of the French elections in June and July.

Thuram who has been a staunch advocate in the fight against racism, appealed to voters ahead of the snap election to reject the message of the National Rally (a far-right political party that represented President Emmanuel Macron’s biggest opposition).

Thuram at the time stated “The situation is very, very serious. I found out about [the elections] after the match against Canada. We were all a little shocked in the dressing room. This is the sad reality of our society today. There are messages conveyed every day on TV to help this party (National Rally) become elected […] As a citizen, whether it is you or me, we must fight daily so that this does not happen again and that the National Rally does not come to power.”

The French team, in particular Thuram and Kylian Mbappé (25), came under fierce criticism from Marine Le Pen’s party for their statements, but as Thuram explained to the Italian media: “It seemed natural to Kylian and I. We are young, black, [and] it was right to understand what was happening and talk about it.”

Despite a strong showing in the first round of voting, the National Rally and their allies were held back by tactical voting in the second round. Marine Le Pen’s coalition became only the third largest political force behind New Popular Front and Ensemble. However, no coalition secured an absolute majority.

GFFN | Nick Hartland