Ligue 1 club Lens has issued a statement supporting their new player Allan Saint-Maximin following a series of racist comments made after his signing announcement.
Saint-Maximin joined Lens on transfer deadline day as a free agent after departing Mexican club Club America, where he reported that racist remarks were directed at his daughters.
The 28-year-old only made the switch to Club America this past summer, where he played 16 matches in Liga MX, scoring three goals.
This marks his return to Ligue 1 for the first time since leaving Nice in 2019 to join Newcastle.
Lens condemned the offensive comments made on their social media and has disabled comments on their announcement video, which features a playful reference to the iconic Looney Tunes character, Roadrunner.
The club’s statement declared: “Racing Club de Lens is appalled and firmly denounces the wave of hateful comments and racist slurs directed at our new player, Allan Saint-Maximin, on social media.
“In light of this, we have had to disable the comments section on several of our posts and will continue to take all necessary actions to maintain a healthy and respectful environment on our social media platforms.
“As a socially responsible and committed club, Racing reaffirms its dedication to the values of respect and tolerance and stands firmly with Allan and his family, offering them our full support.”
Saint-Maximin responded to the comments earlier on Instagram, expressing his outrage towards those targeting his daughters.
He stated: “The issue is not about skin color but the color of thoughts. People attack me, but I can handle that.
“I’ve grown up learning to defend myself against all kinds of attacks, whether they’re subtle, hidden, or overt.
“However, one thing I will never accept is when people target my children.
“Protecting my children is my top priority, and I will fight fiercely to ensure they receive the respect and love they deserve, irrespective of their background or skin color.
“So to those who dared to attack my children, I say this: you have made a grave mistake. I will always stand up for my family, and no individual or threat will intimidate me.”