French winger Allan Saint-Maximin has confessed that he quit Club América as his children were subjected to racist abuse at school in Mexico.
The French winger stated that he believed it was more essential to speak out against discrimination than to remain silent, especially because his family was harmed.
“Whatever your color is, you don’t have to accept this,” Saint-Maximin told BBC Sport on Friday.
The 29-year-old, who is now with Charlotte FC, expressed his thoughts in an Instagram post in January, saying that “hatred and discrimination have no place in our society.”
The post received over 159,000 likes, with support from former Newcastle United teammates Kieran Trippier and Joelinton.
Saint-Maximin did not provide specific details about what happened to his children but stated that “some stuff happened with my kids in the school” during his time at Club América.
“I explained to the kids what happened was not normal, and they knew already,” he said. “They were not really happy about that.”
The episode was especially traumatic for Saint-Maximin because it involved his family, but he recognized that racism and discrimination may occur anywhere.
“I was a bit sad about my son, but in every place there are these types of things, even in France, the country where I am from,” he replied. “As I said to them, it’s something they don’t have to accept.”
Club América officially supported Saint-Maximin and his family, and his colleagues showed solidarity by carrying a “No to Racism” banner before a match against Necaxa.
Saint-Maximin made it clear that his choice was not a condemnation of the Mexican club.
“It was not the fault of Club América,” he said. “I have nothing against them, the players or the Mexican people. I love the club. It was one of the best places I’ve been with my family.”
However, the father of four stated that he had little option when it came to his children’s well-being.
“When this affects your kids, there are not many choices to take. It was a difficult choice for me and my family, but I take my responsibility because I always say I will never accept stuff like this,” he said.
Saint-Maximin believed that standing up to racism was more essential than maintaining his job possibilities.
“It was important to show to people, especially in my situation, that I can lose a lot of things, but I will never accept this,” he stated.
After leaving Mexico, Saint-Maximin joined Lens on a short-term contract and helped the club win the French Cup for the first time in its 120-year existence, as well as finishing second in Ligue 1.
Despite receiving multiple offers during the summer, he ultimately chose Major League Soccer’s Charlotte FC, describing the move as one made with his family in mind.
“My family has always followed me to every single place. So this time was more of a family choice,” he said.
Saint-Maximin has reunited with former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith at Charlotte, where he intends to leave a lasting legacy while also helping those around him grow.
He also wants to amuse his admirers while remaining faithful to his creative style.
“To see some robot play doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.
