the timid support of the world of sport for Christophe Gleizes

The appeal trial of the French journalist imprisoned in Algeria takes place on Wednesday.

The appeal trial of Christophe Gleizes opens on Wednesday, December 3, in Algeria. The 36-year-old French journalist, magazine contributor So foot And Companywas sentenced to seven years in prison at the end of June, notably for “apology of terrorism”. He is accused of having been in contact, during a report, with a Kabyle football leader, also responsible for the movement for the self-determination of Kabylia, classified in Algeria as a “terrorist organization”.

As this new trial approaches, French media have called for his release in recent days. And, in sport, its environment, voices began to be raised although the mobilization was late.

“We don’t have the same jersey, but we are on the same team” is a well-known football adage. Journalists and coaches are not always on good terms, hence the force of the words of Brest coach Éric Roy: “We just hope that for Christophe Gleizes, everything will go as well as possible and that we will find him quickly on French soil.”

In recent days, nine out of 18 Ligue 1 clubs have published messages on social networks or in stadiums. “Finally !”welcomes former French coach Claude Le Roy, a figure in African football who was to write the preface to Christophe Gleizes’ book. “I found that the world of sport was absolutely unbelievably cautious and this is nothing new. We have the impression, sometimes, that people are afraid of arriving in a field where there is no need for modesty”laments the former player.

Ronan Boscher, journalist at So footmember of the FreeGleizes support committee, shows a little more indulgence. “In their place, I would also have asked for clarification, he admits. There are words that are still frightening in Christophe’s condemnation: ‘apology of terrorism’. To explain it to them takes time. But, casually, we still managed to mobilize quite a few people.”

The fact remains that there is one very notable absentee: PSG, which has not, for the moment, expressed its support and has not responded to franceinfo’s requests.