France winger Allan Saint-Maximin has revealed that he left Club América after his children were subjected to racist abuse while attending school in Mexico.
The French winger said he felt it was important to speak out against discrimination rather than remain silent, particularly when his family was affected.
“Whatever your colour is, you don’t have to accept this,” Saint-Maximin told BBC Sport on Friday.
The 29-year-old, who is now with Charlotte FC, previously made his feelings clear in an Instagram post in January, stating that “hatred and discrimination have no place in our society.”
The post received more than 159,000 likes, including support from former Newcastle United teammates Kieran Trippier and Joelinton.
Saint-Maximin did not provide specific details about what happened to his children but said “some stuff happened with my kids in the school” during his time at Club América.
“I explained to the kids what happened was not normal and they knew already,” he said. “They were not really happy about that.”
The incident was particularly difficult for Saint-Maximin because it involved his family, although he acknowledged that racism and discrimination can happen anywhere.
“I was a bit sad about my son, but in every place there is these type of things, even in France, the country where I am from,” he said. “As I said to them, it’s something they don’t have to accept.”
Club América publicly expressed its support for Saint-Maximin and his family, while his teammates showed their solidarity by holding a “No to racism” banner before a match against Necaxa.
Saint-Maximin stressed that his decision was not a criticism of the Mexican club.
“It was not the fault of Club América,” he said. “I have nothing against them, the players or the Mexican people. I love the club. It was one of the best places I’ve been with my family.”
However, the father of four said there was little choice when his children’s wellbeing was involved.
“When this affects your kids there are not many choices to take. It was a difficult choice for me and my family, but I take my responsibility because I always say I will never accept stuff like this,” he said.
For Saint-Maximin, standing up against racism was more important than protecting his career opportunities.
“It was important to show to people, especially in my situation, that I can lose a lot of things, but I will never accept this,” he said.
After leaving Mexico, Saint-Maximin joined Lens on a short-term deal and helped the club win the French Cup for the first time in its 120-year history and finish second in Ligue 1.
Despite receiving several offers in the summer, he eventually chose Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC, describing the move as a decision made with his family in mind.
“My family have always followed me to every single place. So this time was more of a family choice,” he said.
At Charlotte, Saint-Maximin has reunited with former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith and hopes to build a lasting legacy while helping those around him improve.
He also wants to entertain supporters and remain true to his creative style.
“To see some robot play doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.
Source: punchng.com
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