Zidane’s football center ejects far-right French politician

LONDON: French right-wing politician Eric Zemmour was ejected from the football training center of former French star Zinedine Zidane, The Observer reported.

As France prepares for the first round of presidential elections, Zemmour toured the southern city of Marseille, stopping afterward in the football center set up by the former international in Aix-en-Provence, north of the city.

As part of his presidential bid, Zemmour has pledged to establish a remigration policy to deport more than 1 million people from France. Zidane, the son of Algerian parents who migrated to France in 1953, was born in Marseille.

During the incident at the football center, his brother Noureddine interrupted the visiting party, which had paid €160 ($176) to rent a pitch for two hours. He said: “Get them out of here. All of them.”

In response, Zemmour said: “We don’t have the right to play here? Well, that says everything.”

Noureddine later defended his actions, saying that he wanted to avoid any association between the football center and Zemmour, and that he had not been given any warning about the controversial candidate’s arrival.

Zemmour had earlier traveled with a media delegation through Marseille, home to a large population of migrants.

He told journalists after the visit: “Marseille is shattered by immigration … If we do nothing, the whole of France will be like Marseille — a city drowned by immigration and partly Islamised.”

Major French newspaper Le Parisien asked whether Zemmour had deliberately used the football center to stage a publicity stunt.

It said: “By going to a sporting complex run by the brother of Zinedine Zidane, was Eric Zemmour looking to make a buzz?”