“Keep your English!” » Debate on French reopened by Quebec soccer player

Controversy

Updated 01/12/23 at 10:59 am.

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Canadian soccer player, Marc-Antoine Deguay, complained about the lack of concern for the French language on the part of some officials, such as his sports league. His comments resonated strongly in Canada

Canada, a bilingual country, but not so much? On November 20, Canadian soccer player Marc-Antoine Deguay took advantage of his team’s Gray Cup (championship) title to share his frustration. In the corresponding place of the French language In his game. Deguai was furious that none of the text shown on the stadium screens was translated into our language. “They never believed us, man. You see everywhere, it’s written in English,” he announced into RDS’s microphone. “But you know what? Keep your English. Because we’re going to take this cut, and then we’re going to bring it back to Montreal, and we’re going to We are going to bring it back Quebec. We take her home. “

If there’s only one phrase to remember, it’s “Keep your English,” a perennial source of memes over the past ten days and the creation of many discussions and reactions from the 29-year-old Quebecer’s prominence. Quebec Fighter MMA Olivier Aubin-Mercier thus adopted his compatriot’s formula after his last victory.

Quebec’s French language minister welcomes player’s anger

The debate ends with Jean-Francois Roberge, Quebec’s minister of French, commenting. “The Canadian Football League is part of a country that wants to be bilingual and calls itself bilingual. We must respect Quebecers, we must respect the French language. Quebec veteran, Mr. I think Diguai did well to express himself as he did, and to condemn what was reprehensible. »

Marc-Antoine Degua as a New Symbol for the Preservation of the French Linguistic Heritage in North America? Calms you down. Called on TV sets, the player does not demand any political message. “The Defense of the French Language, […] I see it as a social issue. It was the feeling of the moment. »

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