TV presenter France Pierron has reportedly been suspended by French sports broadcaster L’Équipe following her controversial remarks about Manchester City and Belgium winger Jeremy Doku.
The 24-year-old, who missed Belgium’s World Cup match against Iran on Sunday due to a chest infection, had revealed that his wife, Shireen, is due to give birth during the second week of July — a period that coincides with the tournament’s quarter-finals.
The Manchester City forward told Reuters that he intends to leave the World Cup and return home for the birth of his first child, even if Belgium are still competing in the tournament.
“It depends on when it happens, but it’s my first child, so I would definitely want to be there,” Doku said.
“If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also know that football involves many other considerations.”
Belgian media later reported that arrangements were being made for Doku to travel home via private jet if necessary.
However, Doku’s comments drew criticism from L’Équipe presenter France Pierron, who argued that a father is “completely useless” during childbirth.
“There are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your shoes. It might never happen again in your life,” Pierron wrote on social media.
“You’re living out a childhood dream, yet you’re going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child — a disgusting moment, if you’ll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless.”
Following the backlash, Pierron apologised for her comments.
“I was expressing a personal opinion, within the framework of a debate,” she wrote on X.
“I understand that they may have shocked, hurt, or offended some of you, and I am sorry for that.
“My intention has never been to minimise the place or role of fathers alongside their partner and their child.”
Journalist Clément Garin later reported that Pierron had been suspended by the French broadcaster and would not present L’Équipe’s programme on Monday.
In a post on X, Garin wrote:
“NFGO CGTV. France Pierron suspended from the air. The L’Équipe editorial team denounces the management’s ‘hypocrisy.'”
