The coach of Paris-Saint-Germain, Christophe Galtier, reignited the debate on the use of the plane, and in particular that of private jets on Monday, September 5. Asked during a press conference, on the eve of the reception of Juventus Turin in the Champions League, on the criticisms which followed the round trip Paris-Nantes made by plane by his team this weekend, the Parisian said with a big smile to consider future trips to ” yachting “.
A response that provoked the laughter of striker Kylian Mbappé, sitting alongside Christophe Galtier. A response far from making the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra laugh. The latter reacted by calling out to the PSG coach on social networks: “Mr. Galtier, you have accustomed us to more relevant and responsible answers – are we talking about it? », she tweeted.
“There are nobler ways to promote sand yachting… Use your extraordinary influence to initiate the ecological transition”meanwhile said on the same social network the first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure.
Same condemnation on the side of Anne-Laurence Petel, Renaissance deputy for Aix-en-Provence. “Can the issue of the climate emergency still make people laugh? Quite surreal sequence, devastating for the football community and shocking after a particularly alarming summer… This subject is serious and this fight concerns us all, no offense Mr. Galtier! »she launched.
PSG was scolded on Sunday by the director of TGV-Intercités, Alain Krakovitch, for having used the plane rather than the train to get to Nantes on behalf of the 6e day of Ligue 1 (3-0), Saturday, explaining that the SNCF proposed an offer adapted to the needs of the club.
“Paris-Nantes is in less than two hours by TGV, I re-re-renew our proposal for a TGV offer adapted to your specific needs, for our common interests: safety, speed, services and eco-mobility”, he suggested in a tweet in reaction to a video of Italian midfielder Marco Verratti on the PSG plane posted on social networks.
The boss of the TGV has thus made his contribution to the debate on the use of private jets which has recently raged within the French political class. Some on the left and among environmentalists strongly wish to frame it because of the carbon impact of such a mode of transport.
Friday, the anti-globalization association Attac pointed to the attitude of PSG player Lionel Messi, whose private jet has made 52 flights since June, “i.e. 1,502 tonnes of CO2”. “It’s as much as a Frenchman in 150 years”underlined the organization, also calling to regulate the use of private jets.