French player leaves Club América over racist abuse of his children

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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.

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The French winger said he felt it was important to speak out against discrimination rather than remain silent, particularly when his family was affected.

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“Whatever your colour is, you don’t have to accept this,” Saint-Maximin told BBC Sport on Friday.

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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.”

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The post received more than 159,000 likes, including support from former Newcastle United teammates Kieran Trippier and Joelinton.

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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.

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“I explained to the kids what happened was not normal and they knew already,” he said. “They were not really happy about that.”

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The incident was particularly difficult for Saint-Maximin because it involved his family, although he acknowledged that racism and discrimination can happen anywhere.

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“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.”

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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.

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Saint-Maximin stressed that his decision was not a criticism of the Mexican club.

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“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.”

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However, the father of four said there was little choice when his children’s wellbeing was involved.

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“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.

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For Saint-Maximin, standing up against racism was more important than protecting his career opportunities.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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“My family have always followed me to every single place. So this time was more of a family choice,” he said.

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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.

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He also wants to entertain supporters and remain true to his creative style.

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“To see some robot play doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.

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