L’Équipe, a prominent French media outlet, has issued an apology to Belgian footballer Jérémy Doku after one of its commentators faced backlash for criticizing Doku’s decision to leave the World Cup for the birth of his first child.
The Belgian Football Federation confirmed that Doku returned to London just in time to support his wife, Shireen, who welcomed their son, Praise, on Monday.
“Jeremy received news before yesterday’s match that the birth was imminent,” stated team doctor Brahim Hacene. “Everything went perfectly, and the mother, father, and baby are all doing wonderfully. Jérémy will rejoin the squad [on Tuesday] evening in Seattle.”
In a previous interview, Doku expressed his hopes of being present for the birth, which was scheduled for the second week of July, should Belgium still be competing in the tournament. “It depends on when it happens, but it’s my first child, so I would definitely want to be there,” the 24-year-old winger, who plays for Manchester City, said. “If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child … I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We’ll see what we can do.”
On Friday, L’Équipe presenter France Pierron remarked that there were “hundreds of footballers who would kill” to be in Doku’s position at the World Cup. “You’re living out a childhood dream, yet you’re going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child – a disgusting moment, if you’ll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless,” she commented. “He just holds your hand and takes a photo.”
This remark followed criticism from one of Doku’s former youth coaches, who stated that the player had already made his choice by participating in the World Cup. “It may sound harsh, but if you’ve chosen to be there, you’ve chosen to play,” Peter Janssens told a Belgian news outlet. “The only thing you can say is: ‘You’re doing great, keep going,’”
Former Belgium international Gert Verheyen appeared to ridicule Doku’s choice, questioning what he would do during the birth. “As someone who has played in a World Cup and who has also given birth, let me tell you this: the hardest thing I have ever done in this lifetime – and the thing that I am most proud of – is bringing my baby earthside,” he remarked.
However, it was Pierron’s comments that drew significant criticism. As her statements spread online, numerous voices from the football community and beyond rallied in support of Doku.
“And I do not know how I would have done that without my husband beside me. Birth can be extremely complicated; anything can happen.” wrote content creator Caroline Salame, who represented Canada at the Under-17 World Cup in New Zealand. “A baby is your entire life. A World Cup is over when it is over,” she emphasized. “These remarks are solely my own and in no way reflect a collective position. I understand that they may have shocked, offended or hurt some of you, and I am sorry for that. My intention was never to minimise the place or role of fathers with their partners and children,”
Pierron’s remarks were also challenged by a fellow L’Équipe commentator. Former boxer Brahim Asloum, who earned light-flyweight gold for France at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, described childbirth as a unique, once-in-a-lifetime event. “L’Équipe distances itself with these remarks, which are far removed from [its] values and apologises to the footballer concerned and more broadly to its audience,” he stated.
In response to the backlash, Pierron took to social media to apologize. “It seems ridiculous to me that we still have these big outrages, when men talk about wanting to do the most basic human thing imaginable, which is to be present when their baby is born.” she wrote.
On Sunday, L’Équipe distanced itself from Pierron’s comments, acknowledging that they had “To me, it’s like we haven’t moved on from the sort of gladiators in the Colosseum. You know, these kinds of masculine heroes who are supposed to have no softness to them, no family commitments or anything like that,” many viewers. “You can be a soft and loving man and hard as nails on the pitch, if you like.” the statement read. Reports indicated that Pierron would remain off-air until the end of the current season of her show on July 3.
Jeremy Davies of the Fatherhood Institute in the UK commented on the controversy, stating, “In the end, fine – football is important, everybody loves football, everybody gets terribly excited. It’s just a job, on some level, too,”
He praised Doku for being a “This footballer gets it, and it seems to me that’s a healthy attitude in life. And if more of us had it, maybe the world would be a better place, you know?” role model. “To me, it’s like we haven’t moved on from the sort of gladiators in the Colosseum. You know, these kinds of masculine heroes who are supposed to have no softness to them, no family commitments or anything like that,” he noted. “You can be a soft and loving man and hard as nails on the pitch, if you like.”
Davies applauded Doku for demonstrating the “perspective” to recognize the broader implications. “In the end, fine – football is important, everybody loves football, everybody gets terribly excited. It’s just a job, on some level, too,” he said. “This footballer gets it, and it seems to me that’s a healthy attitude in life. And if more of us had it, maybe the world would be a better place, you know?”
