Bernard Casoni will have to answer for his actions before the disciplinary committee of the French Football Federation. Accused of making racist remarks to his players in a long article published by France Bleu Orélans on Monday, the coach of Orleans has provoked the anger of the National Council of Ethics (CNE) of French football, which has therefore chosen to seize in the wake the disciplinary commission of the FFF.
"These remarks are odious and unacceptable," Patrick Anton, president of the CNE, told L'Equipe. We do not accept such slip-ups, whatever Bernard Casoni's defence system. Nothing is left unnoticed about all deviance of this kind. There is more and more racism in society and there is no question of letting it happen. In particular, Casoni is accused of having used phrases such as "You are no more stupid than North Africans" or "no need for chasubles for them, they are already black".
A few hours earlier, the Orléans football club, which plays in the National, the 3rd division, had announced the opening of an internal investigation after its coach Bernard Casoni was accused by a media outlet of having made racist remarks.
"US Orleans has taken note of the accusations reported by France Bleu against Mr. Bernard Casoni," the Loiret club said in a statement published on its website. "In view of the seriousness of the facts invoked, the club has decided to launch, without delay, an internal investigation," the club added, adding that it "will not make any further comment on this situation before the outcome of this investigation."
Bernard Casoni, 62, was appointed coach of US Orleans last June. As a player, he won the Champions League with Marseille in 1993 and was selected 30 times for the France football team. Now a coach, he led Evian Thonon Gaillard from National to Ligue 2, then from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1 between 2010 and 2012.
Orléans occupies the 17th and penultimate place in the National standings.