American Marconi Wireless News - Matildas' Fowler says French club teammate gave her bananas

In a book released this week, "Bloom", the 22-year-old speaks of her unhappiness in southern France, saying she even pondered leaving the game altogether.

Fowler, who left Montpellier in 2022 at the age of 19 after a two-year stay, said the team held a presentation after their final home game at which flowers were handed out to departing players.

But she said neither she nor her friend, Dutch winger Ashleigh Weerden, were mentioned at the ceremony.

"Afterwards, when we got inside the changing room, some of our teammates questioned why we hadn't received any flowers. We shrugged our shoulders, just as clueless as they were," she wrote.

"A few of the girls laughed about it and then one of the other players came over and handed my friend and me some bananas, saying, 'Here, have these.' That was the cherry on top."

Fowler said she and Weerden had discussed the alleged incident since.

"Not receiving flowers was one thing, but as two of only six black girls in the squad, receiving bananas wasn't something I could laugh off and forget about.

"Was it an accident? Was it the only thing in the dressing room she could give us? Did she mean well by it?," she wrote.

- 'Holding those bananas' -

"I've tried to justify it in many different ways, trying to find any indication that it was an honest mistake. But when I add in the many other times at the club when we were left feeling a similar way, it was hard to see it as merely a simple error."

Fowler said she wished they had done something at the time "to stand up for ourselves".

"But instead we just sat there holding those bananas."

Fowler described a struggle with loneliness at Montpellier and said she "genuinely considered quitting football" there.

The Matildas star recounted how the Australia team doctor had told her to get her heart checked out before playing again after she experienced chest pains when running.

But she claimed the Montpellier doctor gave her a five-minute check-up and some anti-inflammatory tablets, and told her she was fine to keep playing.

"It wasn't exactly the check-up I'd been hoping for," she said, adding that a young physiotherapist at the club later told her that the coaching staff thought she was making up the pain to avoid playing.

Fowler said more extensive heart checks had since concluded that the chest pain was most likely a muscular or skeletal issue.

The Australian player said she and Weerden were also questioned by the coach for driving home together.

"She'd answer that we were friends and I didn't have my driver's licence yet. Moments like these made it hard for us to not notice we were being treated differently to other players."

AFP has contacted Montpellier for a comment.

F.Dubois--AMWN