Sexist remarks about Doku: Arcom warns L'Équipe without sanctioning France Pierron

Arcom delivered its ruling on Tuesday, November 3 regarding comments made by presenter France Pierron on L’Équipe channel on June 19. The audiovisual regulator determined that her statements about Jérémy Doku were “likely to convey sexist stereotypes”, without however imposing formal sanctions against the channel.

It all began during an episode of L’Équipe de Choc, where France Pierron commented on the Belgian international’s decision to temporarily leave the national team during the 2026 World Cup to return to Europe and attend his child’s birth. “That particularly scandalizes me”, she had declared, sparking a fierce controversy on social media and leading to her temporary removal from the air.

Seized immediately, Arcom placed the matter on its agenda for October 14, relying on article 86-1067 of September 30, 1986 concerning “respect for women’s rights in audiovisual communication”. In its ruling, the regulator acknowledged that France Pierron’s remarks “had been firmly contradicted by all the panelists present on set” and took note of “the presenter’s subsequent apologies” as well as “disciplinary measures” taken by the channel.

The body however qualified this assessment by noting that these measures “were taken in response to reactions triggered by the posting on social media, by the group itself, of a truncated excerpt of the sequence”. By way of conclusion, Arcom sent a letter to L’Équipe to “raise awareness of the importance of combating gender stereotypes” and call for “vigilance to avoid broadcasting remarks likely to convey sexist prejudices”.

This ruling, deemed lenient by some observers, sparked fresh reactions. Former L’Équipe panelist Pia Clemens ironized on X: “When Arcom concerns itself with France, while we’re asking it to concern itself with France.” Other users denounced a two-tiered institution, while some defended freedom of speech against any regulatory intervention.