The public prosecutor in Nice has demanded ten months in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros against Youcef Atal. The 27-year-old defender of OGC Nice posted a statement at the beginning of October about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, wishing 'Jewish people a dark day'.

In early October, during the international football break, Atal responded via social media to the war that had broken out between Israel and Palestine. The Algerian defender shared a video of a Palestinian preacher addressing God. The anti-Semitic statement was heard in the video.

On Monday, Atal defended himself in court for sharing the controversial message. “I shared the video because I thought it was a message of peace and that people are suffering during this war.”

Atal says he was not aware of the anti-Semitic message in the video. “I regret not watching it to the end,” the defender said in response to questions from the prosecutor.

OGC Nice responded immediately by suspending Atal indefinitely. The man has not played for his club since October 1, but has played several times for Algeria.

“Nice knows that the player has realized his mistake by quickly withdrawing the publication in question and apologizing in writing and publicly,” Nice reported in October.

The regional newspaper Nice-Matin recently added to reports that the club does not intend to ever use Atal again. Nice hopes to find a new employer for the defender in January.

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