Rafa Nadal has hit out at what he called a "general campaign" in France to discredit Spanish athletes by implying their success is due to the use of illegal drugs.
|Last Updated: Feb 10, 2012, 08:13 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: Rafa Nadal has hit out at what he called a "general campaign" in France to discredit Spanish athletes by implying their success is due to the use of illegal drugs.
Speaking to reporters a day after the Spanish tennis federation (RFET) said it would sue French TV broadcaster Canal+ for "unacceptable and damaging insinuations" in a cartoon about Nadal, the world number two said he found the attacks "sad".
"It`s the kind of humour that for one day is fine but if it is repeated over and over again it`s not right and I think it oversteps the line a bit," Nadal said at a training session in his home town of Manacor on the island of Mallorca on Thursday.
"I don`t think it`s just one media, it`s a general campaign by the neighbouring country," the six-times French Open champion added.
"It`s sad to see a campaign like that against something that has cost so much to achieve.
"There`s no question of pills or syringes or anything like that I can assure you."
The Canal+ sketch from their show "Les Guignols", or "The Puppets", showed a life-size likeness of Nadal filling up his car`s gas tank from his own bladder before being pulled over by traffic police for speeding.
"Spanish athletes. They do not win by chance," is flashed on the screen surrounded by the logo of the RFET and several other Spanish federations, including soccer and cycling.
The RFET said it planned to sue the broadcaster for the attack on Nadal as well as for reproducing the federation`s emblem without permission.
BAD TASTE
Canal+ has broadcast several other cartoon sketches implying Spanish athletes use illegal drugs, including one about cyclist Alberto Contador, who was handed a two-year ban on Monday after testing positive for a banned anabolic agent during his victorious 2010 Tour de France campaign.
Contador, who was stripped of the title, denies wrongdoing.
"I think it`s an issue one shouldn`t comment on personally but collectively," Nadal said.
"I think in this case it`s the institutions who have to defend us because I don`t think it`s a campaign against me or any other individual but one against Spain in general.
"I don`t think it`s just Canal+ who does it. There are other media who are also joining in."
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo and European Commissioner Michel Barnier, a Frenchman, were asked about the sketches at a news conference in Madrid on Thursday.
Garcia-Margallo said the government was very concerned about the "succession of images" coming out of France that had "denigrated Spanish sport".
"The videos are in extraordinarily bad taste and show a profound lack of ethics, not to say they lie," he added.
The Spanish ambassador in Paris would be writing to French media, and to the director of Canal+ in particular, to express Spain`s displeasure, he added.
Barnier said French politicians had learned to distance themselves from cartoons like those shown on Canal+ and to avoid commenting on them as it did not generally help.
Canal+ could not be reached for comment.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.