Chalureau affair: for Macron, if there is conviction “it would be preferable” that he is no longer selected

The Head of State visited the XV of France at the start of the week. MAXPPP – LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL

The President of the Republic returned in an interview with L'Equipe, Wednesday September 6, to the controversy linked to the conviction of the player of the XV of France and the MHR Bastien Chalureau for violence aggravated by racist remarks.&amp ;nbsp;

If the conviction of the second line of the XV of France Bastien Chalureau, for racist violence, is confirmed on appeal, it "would be preferable" that he no longer wears the Blues jersey, said French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview with the daily L'Equipe published Wednesday evening.

"I don't do justice fiction. But if there are convictions on serious, established facts, which affect the cohesion of the nation, yes, that would be preferable, said the Head of State about the player selected with France for the Rugby World Cup (September 8 – October 28).

Call on November 14 in Toulouse

Bastien Chalureau was sentenced in 2020 by the Toulouse criminal court to six months in prison for "acts of violence with the circumstance that these were committed due to race or the ethnicity of the victim. The 2nd line of the MHR has appealed, his trial will open on November 14 before the Toulouse Court of Appeal.