Former Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin has left Club America and is now a free agent after a racist incident involving his children, the Mexican club confirmed on Saturday.
The 28-year-old forward
signed a two-year deal with Club America last August and made 15 appearances before his departure was announced following their 2-0 win over Necaxa.
Club America head coach Andre Jardine confirmed the circumstances behind the exit.
“An act of racism occurred against his daughters,” Jardine said. “This has happened multiple times. It is something we will not tolerate, and we condemn it,” Jardine said.
Saint-Maximin, meanwhile, addressed the situation directly in a statement posted on social media, focusing on the impact on his family.
“The problem is not skin colour, it’s the colour of people’s thoughts,” Saint-Maximin said. “People attack me, but that’s not a problem.”
The forward explained where his line was drawn.
“There’s one thing I will never tolerate, and that’s people attacking my children,” Saint-Maximin said.
Saint-Maximin said protecting his family drove his decision to leave.
“Protecting my children is my priority, and I will fight with all my strength to ensure that they are respected and loved,” Saint-Maximin said. “Hatred and discrimination have no place in our society.”
The former Magpie added that threats would not deter him.
“I will always fight to protect my family, and no person or threat will ever scare me,” Saint-Maximin said. “The only person on this earth who scares me is God.”
Club America later issued a statement backing the player and confirming his release.
“We reiterate our strong condemnation of any act of discrimination and/or violence that violates human dignity,” the club said. “We express our absolute solidarity with Allan Saint-Maximin and his family.”
Saint-Maximin has been living in Mexico with his wife and three children. He previously spent four seasons at Newcastle United after joining from Nice in 2019, scoring 13 goals in 124 appearances.
With his contract terminated, Saint-Maximin is now free to join another club for the remainder of the season, and Newcastle could try to bring him back for a congested second half of the season on a free.
No reports of a Newcastle offer for Saint-Maximin had been reported as of Sunday evening.
