Nice suspend Youcef Atal following his media post on Gaza conflict

French club Nice have suspended defender Youcef Atal after the Algeria defender allegedly posted a video on social media relating to the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

The Ligue 1 side say Atal, 27, has since deleted the post and apologised, with the Nice public prosecutor’s office and the French Football Federation set to investigate.

A statement on Nice’s website read: “As soon as he returned from Algeria national team duty, where he had been since October 9, Youcef Atal was contacted by the directors of OGC Nice for a conversation.

“OGC Nice understands that the player has acknowledged his error by quickly withdrawing the sharing of the publication and has offered a public apology in writing.

Communiqué de l’#OGCNice concernant Youcef #Atal

— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) October 18, 2023

“Nevertheless, given the nature of the publication shared, and its seriousness, the club has taken the decision to take immediate disciplinary action against the player, prior to any action that may be taken by sporting and legal authorities.

“As such, the club has decided to suspend Youcef Atal until further notice.

“We would like to emphasise that OGC Nice’s reputation and unity are the result of the behaviour of all its employees, which must be in line with the values promoted by the institution.

“As OGC Nice expressed in its message last Friday, the reiterates its firm commitment to ensuring that peace prevails over all other considerations.”

Former Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi was suspended by German club Mainz on Tuesday after also posting about the conflict.