Rajoy does not retract and attacks the Spanish government: "They do not ask for forgiveness for anything"

The former president attributes the controversy over his racist comment to the intention of "distracting attention" from Pedro Sánchez's executive

Mariano Rajoy in a file image
15/07/2026
2 min

BarcelonaMariano Rajoy not only downplayed his racist comment about the French team, supported by the PP, but now he is resisting apologizing. Amidst the euphoria of Spain's advance to the World Cup final, the former Spanish president has published a new article in El Debate in which he discusses the controversy surrounding him. A chronicle with little football content and a lot of politics, in which he directly attacks the Spanish government: "They don't apologize for anything," he even says.

The former PP leader ignores protests from France - and from players of the Spanish team itself- for saying that the French team played "without Frenchmen" and, with a mocking tone, writes "thanks to the authorities for the attention they have paid me in this World Cup." The phrase serves as a preamble for him to accuse - without explicitly mentioning him - Pedro Sánchez's executive of having used him to "create noise, distract attention, and stir things up."

"The shame is that so much effort dedicated to praising my virtues has distracted them from other issues [...] They are more interested in whispering to a foreign minister or bowing to a prime minister [...] all so that what we are experiencing is not talked about," he adds. It is at this point that he states "they don't apologize for anything." "This, apparently, always falls to others," he resolves, ending with "you already know how I am" and "Viva Espanya".

In the article, although he does not mention it, he also refers directly to Sánchez. "We fervently wish that Spain always achieves victory. Not that the best wins, as he prefers – so he states – he", says Rajoy, after the Spanish president reacted to his predecessor's words by saying "may the best win and racism lose".

The analysis of the semifinal by the former PP president, who points out that France "did not play badly and, despite this, lost" -"what can you do", he adds-, ends by thanking the readers for "continuing" to read him after each clash of "la Roja". "We still have a few days left", he celebrates. And in another comment full of irony, he also thanks all those who in recent days have approached him on the street: "You have to have a good sense of humor to greet me". The article, in fact, is titled like this: You have to have a good sense of humor.

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