Berliner Boersenzeitung - PSG face backlash over mockery of train travel option

EUR -
AED 4.31522
AFN 80.888304
ALL 97.498912
AMD 450.961785
ANG 2.102609
AOA 1077.328333
ARS 1495.545148
AUD 1.785198
AWG 2.117061
AZN 2.01233
BAM 1.954767
BBD 2.370958
BDT 143.554169
BGN 1.957153
BHD 0.442943
BIF 3499.980968
BMD 1.174839
BND 1.500327
BOB 8.114713
BRL 6.487701
BSD 1.174285
BTN 101.427422
BWP 15.69371
BYN 3.842986
BYR 23026.852341
BZD 2.358764
CAD 1.603762
CDF 3394.111322
CHF 0.934818
CLF 0.028458
CLP 1116.391284
CNY 8.404793
CNH 8.41366
COP 4786.013775
CRC 592.794432
CUC 1.174839
CUP 31.133244
CVE 110.205847
CZK 24.537655
DJF 208.90054
DKK 7.464419
DOP 71.253271
DZD 152.08381
EGP 57.644553
ERN 17.622591
ETB 161.96881
FJD 2.631934
FKP 0.865827
GBP 0.870473
GEL 3.184019
GGP 0.865827
GHS 12.271518
GIP 0.865827
GMD 84.588684
GNF 10187.705182
GTQ 9.012239
GYD 245.680222
HKD 9.220692
HNL 30.74915
HRK 7.538825
HTG 154.101221
HUF 396.878334
IDR 19177.138578
ILS 3.932645
IMP 0.865827
INR 101.657096
IQD 1538.287418
IRR 49475.420674
ISK 142.202486
JEP 0.865827
JMD 188.013085
JOD 0.833
JPY 172.597416
KES 151.718302
KGS 102.566655
KHR 4705.594432
KMF 491.662342
KPW 1057.367409
KRW 1618.012605
KWD 0.358479
KYD 0.978579
KZT 637.390593
LAK 25313.628379
LBP 105215.868765
LKR 354.42278
LRD 235.44663
LSL 20.700553
LTL 3.468995
LVL 0.710649
LYD 6.337679
MAD 10.546829
MDL 19.745738
MGA 5177.331239
MKD 61.527499
MMK 2465.79507
MNT 4218.199965
MOP 9.494685
MRU 46.701927
MUR 53.349419
MVR 18.060731
MWK 2036.250373
MXN 21.785975
MYR 4.956058
MZN 75.142686
NAD 20.699977
NGN 1795.00214
NIO 43.217539
NOK 11.889198
NPR 162.286346
NZD 1.949217
OMR 0.451744
PAB 1.17428
PEN 4.175694
PGK 4.938433
PHP 66.915914
PKR 333.642257
PLN 4.256298
PYG 8795.391372
QAR 4.293396
RON 5.071081
RSD 117.17847
RUB 93.40684
RWF 1697.425028
SAR 4.407443
SBD 9.733656
SCR 17.248342
SDG 705.492335
SEK 11.200132
SGD 1.503048
SHP 0.923239
SLE 26.96278
SLL 24635.799543
SOS 671.15404
SRD 42.987959
STD 24316.803695
STN 24.487273
SVC 10.274529
SYP 15275.247183
SZL 20.683074
THB 37.993557
TJS 11.155755
TMT 4.123686
TND 3.422792
TOP 2.751589
TRY 47.64496
TTD 7.98075
TWD 34.583165
TZS 3019.337536
UAH 49.06211
UGX 4213.774124
USD 1.174839
UYU 46.965391
UZS 14987.083253
VES 141.301934
VND 30709.714631
VUV 140.754337
WST 3.229407
XAF 655.619048
XAG 0.030088
XAU 0.00035
XCD 3.175062
XCG 2.116382
XDR 0.81538
XOF 655.61347
XPF 119.331742
YER 283.07773
ZAR 20.724642
ZMK 10574.962677
ZMW 27.388649
ZWL 378.297809
  • RBGPF

    7.0000

    75

    +9.33%

  • CMSC

    0.0000

    22.43

    0%

  • SCU

    0.0000

    12.72

    0%

  • RELX

    0.6200

    53.71

    +1.15%

  • RYCEF

    -0.2600

    13.24

    -1.96%

  • SCS

    -0.1700

    10.51

    -1.62%

  • NGG

    -0.4200

    72.23

    -0.58%

  • BCC

    -1.9200

    86.43

    -2.22%

  • BCE

    -0.1700

    24.43

    -0.7%

  • RIO

    -0.7900

    63.83

    -1.24%

  • JRI

    -0.0600

    13.15

    -0.46%

  • GSK

    0.2000

    38.23

    +0.52%

  • AZN

    0.6800

    73.68

    +0.92%

  • VOD

    0.2200

    11.52

    +1.91%

  • BTI

    0.2500

    52.62

    +0.48%

  • BP

    -0.5800

    32.13

    -1.81%

  • CMSD

    -0.0400

    22.85

    -0.18%

PSG face backlash over mockery of train travel option
PSG face backlash over mockery of train travel option / Photo: FRANCK FIFE - AFP

PSG face backlash over mockery of train travel option

French football giants Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday faced accusations of failing to take climate change seriously, after coach Christophe Galtier and star Kylian Mbappe mocked a suggestion that they should take the train rather than private planes for short-haul travel.

Text size:

Galtier and Mbappe were asked at a press conference on Monday whether they had discussed an offer from the state railway group SNCF to provide travel for them to away games.

Galtier initially smirked at the idea while Mbappe bent double in laughter over the suggestion -- with the clip quickly going viral on social media.

"We had a chat with our travel organisers earlier to see if we can travel by sand-yacht," Galtier replied sarcastically, referring to sail-powered beach buggies that are popular on some French beaches.

Politicians, campaigners and even the prime minister weighed in on Tuesday, condemning both men for being out-of-touch and arrogant at a time when Europe faces an energy crisis and spiralling temperatures linked to climate change.

"I think it's important that they realise what world we live in, that they are aware that there is a climate crisis that is no longer a hypothesis about tomorrow but a reality today," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told reporters while visiting a Paris police station.

Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire called Galtier's response "inappropriate" while Paris' left-wing mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted: "It's not on to answer stuff like that???? Wake up guys??? This is Paris."

- Private jets -

The controversy began over the weekend when PSG notched up an easy 3-0 away victory against Nantes to stay top of Ligue 1 on their trip to the French city, which is 380 kilometres (240 miles) west of Paris but located on a high-speed train line.

The side -- owned by an investment fund of major gas producer Qatar -- boasted on social media that they had made the return trip with shirt sponsors Qatar Airways, but their travel choice was publicly questioned due to its carbon footprint.

"Paris-Nantes is less than two hours by TGV," Alain Krakovitch, the head of SNCF's TGV high-speed passenger trains, wrote on Twitter afterwards.

"I renew our proposal for a TGV offer adapted to your specific needs in line with our common interests -- safety, speed, services and eco-mobility," he added.

The PSG team recently went by road to a clash with Lille, the club said, and may also take the coach for other upcoming matches.

The Qatar-owned club takes "security, public order, logistical problems and the environment" into consideration when planning travel, it said.

The controversy comes against the background of a growing clamour in France from environmental campaigners for restrictions on private jet travel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Pressure group Attac had on Friday pilloried PSG's Argentinian star Lionel Messi for his use of private air travel.

"From June to August, Messi made 52 flights with his private jet, amounting to 1,502 tons of CO2 emissions. That's as much as a single French person would be responsible for in 150 years," it said.

Star French attacker Karim Benzema also faced criticism over the summer for posting a video from his holidays in Miami which flaunted his wealth -- and carbon footprint -- with sports cars, jet skis and motor boats.

Many teams in the top Spanish, Italian and English leagues, including Juventus and Liverpool, regularly travel by train.

- Role model? -

Communication experts said they were amazed at the insensitivity of the PSG manager's reply on the same day that President Emmanuel Macron was urging French people to lower their air conditioning and heating to save electricity.

Europe faces an energy crunch this winter after Russia cut its gas deliveries to the continent.

The press conference behaviour was a rare faux pas for World Cup-winning posterboy Mbappe who has forged a reputation as a mature, socially-minded player despite his young age of just 23.

"I have no thoughts," he replied in the press conference when asked for his view on the train travel option.

Contacted by AFP, his representatives declined to comment on Tuesday.

"It is a devastating blow to his image," Frank Hocquemiller, an agent for several French international footballers, told AFP. "Footballers need to understand that if you are a role model, or in his case an icon, everything carries great importance."

French climatologist Valerie Masson-Delmotte said she wanted Mbappe to set an example.

"What he says, what he does, these things have an influence far beyond what scientists might say or do, because he inspires so many people," she told France Inter radio.

burs-sjw-adp/pvh

(P.Werner--BBZ)