French Player Quits Club América After Kids Face Racism in School

France winger Allan Saint-Maximin has shared that he left Club América because his children faced racist abuse while in school in Mexico.

Saint-Maximin felt it was necessary to speak out against discrimination when it affected his family. "Whatever your colour is, you don’t have to accept this," he told BBC Sport on Friday.

The 29-year-old, now playing for Charlotte FC, expressed his feelings in an Instagram post back in January. He wrote that "hatred and discrimination have no place in our society."

His post gained over 159,000 likes and support from former Newcastle United teammates Kieran Trippier and Joelinton.

Saint-Maximin did not go into detail about what his children experienced but mentioned that "some stuff happened with my kids in the school" while he was with 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."

This situation was especially hard for Saint-Maximin since it involved his family. He recognized that racism and discrimination can occur anywhere. "I was a bit sad about my son, but in every place there are these types 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 supported Saint-Maximin and his family. His teammates also showed their support by holding a "No to racism" banner before a match against Necaxa.

Saint-Maximin made it clear that his decision was not a knock on 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."

Still, the father of four knew he had to prioritize his children's wellbeing. "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 explained.

For Saint-Maximin, standing against racism was more important than worrying about his career. "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. He helped the club win the French Cup for the first time in its 120-year history and finish second in Ligue 1.

Even with several offers during the summer, he chose to join Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC. He described this move as a decision made with his family in mind. "My family has 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. He hopes to build a lasting legacy while helping those around him improve. He also wants to entertain fans and stay true to his creative style. "To see some robot play doesn’t make sense to me," he said.