Mexican club Club América announced on Saturday the abrupt end of former Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin’s time with the team, following a racist incident involving his children.
The 28-year-old Saint-Maximin made only 16 league appearances, starting nine of them, and was in the first year of his two-year contract, which he signed last August.
Saint-Maximin wrote on his social media accounts: “The problem isn’t the color of your skin, it’s the color of your thoughts. Being attacked isn’t a problem; I’ve grown up and learned how to deal with attacks. But there’s one thing I will never tolerate, and that’s attacking my children.”
Saint-Maximin moved to Mexico after a year with Turkish club Fenerbahçe, where he was on loan from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli. He relocated to Mexico with his wife and three children: daughters Liana and Niña, and son Ded.
Club América coach André Jardin said on Saturday: “It’s unfortunate that his daughters were subjected to racist abuse, something that has happened more than once. This was something he couldn’t tolerate, and we strongly condemn it. Unfortunately, he went through this, and now we must demand action against racism because it has no place in this world.”
He added, “He’s a fantastic player and was performing well. He has the level to play in any league in the world, but moving from Europe to Mexico was a big change for him. There were things that put pressure on him, like his family, food, habits, and lifestyle.”
Saint-Maximin, a former French youth international, began his career with Saint-Étienne in France, then moved to Monaco and Nice. In 2019, he joined Newcastle United in the English Premier League, where he spent four seasons, scoring 13 goals in 124 appearances, despite suffering from recurring injuries.
