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The fact that the Argentina national soccer team sang a racist and sexist song disparaging the French national soccer team has been revealed, causing controversy.
In particular, Argentine media reported on the 19th (local time) that the vice president of Argentina has drawn a backlash from the French government by defending the national soccer team player who broadcasted the problematic scene on social media, and that there is conflict between the vice president and the president’s chief of staff as the latter has apologized to the French side.
According to Argentine media, the Argentina national soccer team, which won the Copa America, the “American version of the World Cup,” sang a song disparaging French players while riding on a bus, intoxicated by their victory.
At that time, Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) started a live broadcast on his SNS and this scene was broadcast in its entirety, making this fact known.
The song sung by the Argentine players was created by Argentine fans to mock the French players during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and contains the fact that the parents of the French national team players are of African descent, such as Nigerians and Cameroonians, and that Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) is dating a transgender person.
The French Football Federation reacted angrily and announced that they would file a complaint with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and the English Premier League club Chelsea issued a statement saying that they would discipline Fernandes.
Fernandez posted an apology for the video on his personal SNS the next day, explaining, “There is no excuse for singing a song that contained offensive language, but that song does not reflect my own beliefs.”
In Argentina, most of the comments included, “It’s a song that’s just for fun at the soccer stadium, but it’s too much,” “Most of the French national soccer team players are black, so what’s the problem with a song that expresses that fact?” and “Can we say that France, which colonized Africa and exploited black people, is racist toward us?”
However, some have argued that this was a mistake and that an apology should be made to France.
Meanwhile, Sports Undersecretary Julio Garro was dismissed the same day after expressing his opinion in a local radio interview that national team captain Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) and the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) should apologize.
The deputy minister was dismissed after clarifying that his opinion was entirely personal and did not represent the position of the Javier Millais government.
Then, Argentina’s Vice President Victoria Villarruel defended the national team’s actions on her personal SNS, writing, “No colonialist country will be able to blackmail us by singing football songs or telling the truth they don’t want to admit. Stop pretending to be angry, hypocrites. Enso, I’m on your side.”
Vice President Villarreal is a figure who caused controversy a few years ago when he mocked BTS by saying, “It sounds like some kind of health insurance or a sexually transmitted disease.”
There were even signs that this could escalate into a diplomatic issue when it was reported that the French ambassador to Argentina protested to Foreign Minister Diana Mondino after Vice President Villarruel revealed this position.
In response, the Argentine government, which is preparing for President Millay’s official visit to France next week, quickly tried to quell the controversy by sending the president’s sister and powerful chief of staff, Karina Millay, to the French ambassador to personally apologize for the vice president’s remarks.
Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni explained at a regular press conference on the 19th, “The Vice President’s opinion is not the official position of the Argentine government, and (Presidential Chief of Staff Karina) explained the remarks on a personal level.”
He added, “The Argentine government’s position is that sports passion and foreign affairs should not be mixed.”
However, local media El Testafe said, “It is also difficult to understand the explanation of the presidential spokesperson that the chief of staff visited the embassy and personally apologized without any request from the French side,” and cited a government official to point out, “It is not normal procedure for the chief of staff to step forward, rather than the foreign minister.”
The outlet also pointed out that it could be an internal power struggle between Chief of Staff Karina and Vice President Villarruel. 안전놀이터
