Toulouse player Dønnum under investigation for alleged racist gesture

The Toulouse public prosecutors office has opened a preliminary investigation into a controversial gesture made by Toulouse player Aron Dnnum toward Le Havre midfielder Simon Ebonog during a Ligue 1 match.Dnnum, a right winger from Norway, allegedly made a racial gesture, LEquipe newspaper reported on Thursday.

The Toulouse public prosecutor's office has opened a preliminary investigation into a controversial gesture made by Toulouse player Aron Dønnum toward Le Havre midfielder Simon Ebonog during a Ligue 1 match.

Dønnum, a right winger from Norway, allegedly made a racial gesture, L'Equipe newspaper reported on Thursday. Local media ICI Occitanie confirmed the prosecutor's move.

Dønnum was accused by Le Havre coach Didier Digard following a 0-0 draw on Nov. 2. Digard told French broadcaster Ligue 1+ that he thought Dønnum made a racist gesture with his hand toward Ebonog, who is Black, after the players had an argument.

Dønnum, who will be heard by the league's discipline commission, said his gesture had ''nothing to do with racism.'' ''It seems normal to me not to leave it solely to football authorities to deal with such behavior, even though I note that the (league's) disciplinary commission has taken up the matter, which shows the desire to ban racist gestures from sports venues,'' Toulouse prosecutor David Charmatz was quoted as saying by L'Equipe.