Controversy surrounding the French national team: Mariano Rajoy responds ironically to criticism and takes a swipe at Pedro Sánchez

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who had described the French national football team as "without French players", sparking a heated controversy in France, welcomed the "attention" paid to his controversial remarks in a new opinion piece on Wednesday, without offering an apology.

The conservative leader, who headed the Spanish government between 2011 and 2018, thanked, in an ironic tone, "the authorities for the attention they paid me during this World Cup".

"It's a shame that so much effort devoted to praising my virtues has diverted them from other subjects (...) which matter to Spaniards," he wrote in the online newspaper El Debate.

Mariano Rajoy is at loggerheads with the current left-wing government, led by the socialist Pedro Sánchez, who came to power in 2018 following a motion of censure that brought down the conservative leader.

His new column was published late Tuesday evening, following Spain's victory against France in the World Cup in the United States (2-0).

"Some people place more importance on denouncing a foreign minister or bowing to a prime minister in order to make noise, divert attention, stir up excitement, and all so that we don't talk about what we are experiencing," Mariano Rajoy further denounced.

These remarks allude to the reaction of Pedro Sánchez who in recent days denounced the "xenophobic statements" of his predecessor.

On Monday, on the sidelines of the July 14th parade in Paris, the socialist leader told his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu that he was "so ashamed".

In images captured by cameras, the Spanish Prime Minister could be seen placing his hands on his chest, bowing slightly in apology to Sébastien Lecornu and Brigitte Macron, the wife of the French President.

"They don't ask for forgiveness for anything. It is apparently always up to others to do so," criticized Mariano Rajoy, referring to the multiple legal cases affecting Pedro Sánchez's private and professional circle, as well as the Socialist Party (PSOE), which he leads.