"I can't tell you how affected I am.
I am touched deep within me.
“Bakary Meité chose Twitter to vent Monday morning.
The former professional rugby player, who spent a season in the Top 14 with Stade Français and went through Drancy and Massy, detailed the racist insults from a coach of Rugby Entente du Cabardès, amateur club (Regional 2) de l'Aude where this ex-third line has now been involved as a technician for two years.
This man "treated me as a banana eater", assures the former Ivorian international on the social network.
"In my absence, but in the presence of several people in the locker room, after a match where he and I had a verbal altercation", details the one who had distinguished himself during the spring 2020 confinement by working as a security guard. interview at the Parisian hospital of Sainte-Périne.
Bakary Meité explains that this coach "reiterated his words on the phone" in a recorded conversation.
The ex-player wanted to confront him with his insults.
But the interested party denied, recognizing just "a bad joke" when he had mentioned "Banania" when Meité was traveling in Guyana and Senegal.
“I am irritable.
I sleep badly.
I ponder.
I'm frustrated.
And I feel guilty.
I try to understand what pushes someone who meets me to compare me to a monkey, ”says the former player, who indicates that he intends to file a complaint.
The author of the insults pushed out by the club
“I know it will have repercussions,” he continues.
The mockery, the derision that accompanies this kind of decision are additional tests.
I will have to explain to my 6 year old son why I will no longer go to training at the REC and above all have to tell him that he too will have to face racism.
Contacted by Le Parisien, he did not want to speak further on the subject for the moment.
The Rugby Entente du Cabardès indicated on Tuesday on its Facebook page that on December 21 it had put an end to "an end to its collaboration with Stéphane Vidal, coach of the senior team" and author of these racist insults.
“These remarks were made publicly, verified and confirmed by the respondent”, underlines the club.
"The REC and all of its representatives wish to affirm, once again, its firm and unwavering support for Bakary Meité", continues the text.
The Aude club intends to seize the ethics and professional conduct commission of the federation on this case.
Provale gives his full support to Bakary Meïté, former player of @USCXV and current coach of Rugby Entente du Cabarets (Regional 2), who has been the victim of racism
The comments made towards the former international go against our values and we strongly condemn them.
pic.twitter.com/jVBFQMymNp
— Provale (@ProvaleRugby) January 11, 2023
“The comments made towards the former international go against our values and we strongly condemn them,” said the professional players’ union, Provale, on Wednesday, which “gives its full support to Bakary Meité”.
Carcassonne (Pro D2), his last professional club (2018-2021) "welcomes the decision of the REC to have ended its collaboration with the author of these remarks" and "strongly condemns the racist remarks of which Bakary Meité was the victim ".