Paulo Fonseca on Donald Trump receiving the FIFA Peace Prize: ‘Football doesn’t deserve this. It’s a disgrace.’ | OneFootball

As part of Paulo Fonseca’s interview to L’Équipe discussing his and his family’s experience of the war in Ukraine, which began four years ago today, the Olympique Lyonnais coach expressed very mixed feelings about some of the world leaders with influence on the conflict and its fallout.

Fonseca, whose Lyon side lost to RC Strasbourg at the weekend, ending a 13-match winning run, was asked whether he believes that Ukraine has been abandoned by the international community. His first thought was for the President of the country in which he currently resides:

“Emmanuel Macron has been one of Ukraine’s best allies. He was perhaps the bravest president of all European countries. He has never been afraid to confront Russia and sometimes the United States and we thank him for that. We need more Macrons. We needed more presidents with the courage of the French president. I have the impression that, if it had been up to him, the Europeans would have done much more. It would have gone beyond military aid, Europe would have been more courageous. It must demonstrate that it is not afraid of anyone.”

Fonseca’s mention of the United States betrayed his feelings about the leader of another major western state, which was an undoubted ally when Joe Biden was President when the war began, but whose position is now more ambiguous. When asked about Donald Trump, Fonseca did not hold back:

“The position of the American president has been to forget, to ignore the most disadvantaged, the weakest, and to be on the side of his economic interests. The American president did not think about people. He thought about money.” 

“One of the last things we do before bed is watch the news from Ukraine, and we see how far we are from a solution, mainly because of the attitude of the President of the United States, who always seems to be on the side of Russia and Putin.”

So should the European countries of whom Fonseca speaks show their courage this summer and boycott the World Cup, taking place in part in the United States? Fonseca is unsure but the question puts another type of global leader in his line of fire:

“I don’t know. The truth is that we who love football would like the World Cup to take place elsewhere, and not in the United States, not right now. I don’t know if football is the best way to protest against this, but there are things that are unacceptable to me.

It’s like (FIFA) President Infantino who thinks that Russia should participate in European competitions again. We are going to play against Russia in Moscow while the Ukrainians cannot play on their territory? The country that is invaded cannot play European competitions at home and Russia could? For me, this is unacceptable. Football can’t solve all problems. But it can help bring more justice to the world. But President Infantino is doing the same thing as President Trump. He looks at economic interests and forgets about people.”

Asked for his thoughts on Infantino awarding the FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump, Fonseca was unequivocal:

“You know how I felt when I saw that? Shameful. It’s so sad, football doesn’t deserve this. It’s a disgrace.”

GFFN | Jeremy Smith