Montpellier has refuted allegations of racism made by Australian international forward Mary Fowler, stating that there is no evidence to support her claims. The French club released a statement on Thursday, expressing their astonishment at the accusations made by Fowler in her new memoir, "Bloom".
Fowler, who joined Montpellier at the age of 17 in 2020 and played there for two and a half seasons before transferring to Manchester City, recounts an incident in her book where she and her Dutch teammate, Ashleigh Weerden, were excluded from a presentation for departing players after the final home game of the 2021/22 season. While other departing players received flowers, Fowler and Weerden, were not included. Fowler writes that after the ceremony, a teammate gave her and Weerden bananas, allegedly saying, "Here, have these". Fowler stated that as two of only six Black players in the squad, she and Weerden felt they could not simply dismiss the gesture.
Montpellier has offered a different account of the events. The club stated that on June 1, 2022, during their last home match against Bordeaux, only two players whose contracts were expiring were honored with flowers, as had been the custom for several seasons. Since Fowler and Weerden were still under contract with the club until June 30, 2023, Montpellier argues that it would have been inappropriate to offer them a farewell gift.
Regarding the alleged incident in the locker room, Montpellier stated that they consulted with those present and found no evidence to support Fowler's version of events. The club insists that if such incidents had been reported and proven, they would have taken all necessary measures. Montpellier has emphasized its commitment to fighting all forms of discrimination and has warned against exploiting the serious issue of racism.
Montpellier, which sold its women's team in October, has not ruled out taking legal action. The club insists on defending its reputation and ensuring that "defamation" does not prevail over the truth. The club stated that some of the accusations are particularly serious and that portraying the club as a racist entity is unacceptable.
