{"id":1706,"date":"2026-06-24T15:08:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1706"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:08:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:08:05","slug":"tv-host-apologizes-for-slamming-soccer-star-who-left-world-cup-for-babys-birth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1706","title":{"rendered":"TV host apologizes for slamming soccer star who left World Cup for baby\u2019s birth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A prominent French sports broadcaster is apologizing after facing widespread backlash for criticizing Belgian soccer star J\u00e9r\u00e9my Doku\u2019s plan to leave the World Cup to attend the birth of his first child.<\/p>\n

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The controversy began during a segment on the French sports network L\u2019\u00c9quipe, when presenter France Pierron argued that participating in the World Cup was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should take precedence over family obligations.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cThere are hundreds of footballers who would love to be in his position,\u201d Pierron said during the broadcast, referring to Doku, the 24-year-old Manchester City winger.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s truly a special moment, a childhood dream come true. You\u2019re living out a childhood dream,\u201d she said. \u201cYet you\u2019re going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child \u2014 a disgusting moment, if you\u2019ll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doku previously told Reuters that he planned to leave Belgium\u2019s World Cup camp if necessary to be present when his wife, Shireen, gave birth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my first child, so I would definitely want to be there,\u201d he said. \u201cNobody wants to miss the birth of their first child.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The backlash against Pierron was swift. Critics argued that her comments reflected outdated assumptions about fatherhood and overlooked the importance of parental support during childbirth.<\/p>\n

The Professional Footballers\u2019 Association said demands placed on players should not be at the expense of \u201cfundamental family moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhile every situation is different, we believe players should be supported in balancing their professional responsibilities with important life events,\u201d a PFA spokesperson told the BBC.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupporting players as people, not just athletes, is an important part of creating a healthy professional working environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

L\u2019\u00c9quipe publicly distanced itself from Pierron\u2019s remarks, saying they were \u201cfar removed\u201d from the organization\u2019s values and apologized to both Doku and to viewers. Multiple reports indicated that Pierron would remain off the air until early July.<\/p>\n

In a statement posted on X, Pierron acknowledged the reaction and expressed regret.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cThese remarks are solely my own and in no way reflect a collective position,\u201d she wrote. \u201cI understand that they may have shocked, offended, or hurt some of you, and I am sorry for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Days later, the controversy gave way to happier news. According to the Belgian Football Association, Doku returned to London in time for the birth of his son, Praise, before rejoining Belgium\u2019s World Cup squad. The federation said the mother and baby \u201cwere doing wonderfully.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A prominent French sports broadcaster is apologizing after facing widespread backlash for criticizing Belgian soccer star J\u00e9r\u00e9my Doku\u2019s plan to leave the World Cup to attend the birth of his first child<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-cup"],"yoast_head":"\nTV host apologizes for slamming soccer star who left World Cup for baby\u2019s birth - Trusted Moving Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=1706\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TV host apologizes for slamming soccer star who left World Cup for baby\u2019s birth - 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