French police today detained Algerian player Youcef Atal, a Nice defender, under the accusation of "defending terrorism," following a video he posted regarding the war between Israel and Hamas. Youcef Atal, 27, quickly deleted the post and issued an apology; however, his club decided on October 18 to suspend him until further notice. The disciplinary committee of the French league also suspended him for seven matches on September 26.
In a statement, Nice stated: "After his return from the Algerian national team's camp that began on October 9, Nice officials held a meeting with Youcef Atal. The player acknowledged the mistake of the video he posted and that he quickly removed it and apologized for its content, given the seriousness of the post."
"Nice immediately took first disciplinary action by suspending Youcef Atal until further notice. We would like to emphasize that the reputation and unity of Nice come from the behavior of all club staff, which must align with the institution's values, as stated in our message last Friday, affirming Nice's steadfast commitment to peace."
An investigation was opened on October 16 after the Nice municipality alerted the public prosecutor regarding accusations of "defending terrorism" and "inciting hatred or violence based on a specific religion."
Voices rose, including that of the Mayor of Nice, to denounce the video posted by Atal, which reportedly featured a preacher making allegedly anti-Semitic statements and inciting violence before he deleted it and apologized.
In his apology, Atal stated: "I know my post shocked many people, and that was not my intention, and I apologize for that," adding that he wanted "to clarify his position without any ambiguity: I strongly condemn all forms of violence anywhere in the world, and I support all victims."
