Yannis Morin (Roanne) denounces “blackfaces” in the stands of Portel during a Betclic Elite match

” When in 2023 can we tolerate this type of disguise? A few minutes after Roanne’s victory on Saturday on the Portel floor (95-84), Yannis Morin denounced on Twitter the presence of three “blackfaces” among the northern supporters. ” I had the misfortune to see three men on the edge of the field, black paint, red lipstick, frizzy hair wigs, traditional West Indian clothes “, told the interior, native of Martinique, and MVP of the meeting with 20 points and 15 rebounds.

“A misinterpreted tribute” according to Le Portel

Blackface is painting your face black. It is considered a racist act, as it refers to parody shows that took place in the United States during the era of racial segregation. From photo posted – then deleted but still visible on the Franceinfo website – the three ESSM supporters wanted to pay tribute to Jacky Périgois, former assistant coach of the club, who went to live in Martinique. ” Jacky, we are thinking of you “, indicated the banners in the hands of the three supporters.

Under Morin’s tweet, the northern club, which organized its traditional carnival match on Saturday, tried to defend its three fans. ” The tribute made by our supporters to our former assistant coach Jacky Périgois has been misinterpreted “, assures the ESSM. ” It’s a nod to Jacky Périgois but it’s not smart to have done that. I don’t think it’s done in a deliberately racist way but it’s very clumsy. Yannis came to see me at the end of the match telling me “It’s unbelievable, I saw guys dressed as West Indians, it’s an insult to my origins”. He almost had tears in his eyes “, tells The Team the coach of the Choir, Jean-Denys Choulet.

The National League (LNB) indicated “ take note of the incident. Its steering committee will meet on Wednesday to decide, and could seize the Legal Commission. ” These are things we refuse to acceptdeclared Alain Béral, the president of the LNB, to France Info. We won’t let it pass, ever. Whether it is invectives, banners, or acts of a racist nature. The Disciplinary Committee is very sensitive on this, we will review all this and listen to everyone, who will be summoned. »

Béral ​​also confided that “ the reaction of the club (was) a little off. They responded to defend themselves, but the images we saw weren’t quite that. The incident also comes a month after the racist remarks made against Loïc Akono during a match in Charleville-Mézières in National 2.