Argentine President Javier Milei will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron at the present Paris Olympics to discuss the Argentine football team’s disrespectful post-match chanting regarding black French players.
Argentina and Chelsea player Enzo Fernandez posted a video of himself and his teammates celebrating their Copa America victory in Miami earlier this month.
The clip shows triumphant Argentine players screaming a song that is considered racist towards French players of African descent.
“They play for France, but their parents are from Angola,” the chant runs, with a few transphobic slurs thrown in.
The French football federation has subsequently filed a legal complaint on the ‘unacceptable racial and discriminatory remarks.’ Fernandez’s English club Chelsea has initiated an internal disciplinary action.
The Argentine newspaper Clarín reported on Thursday that the Argentine national anthem was met with loud booing and jeers in Paris, leading to the headline ‘Argentina is the enemy in France.
Argentina’s conservative vice president, Victoria Villarruel, supported Fernandez and the squad, stating that Argentina would not tolerate criticism from a ‘colonialist’ country.
In a widely shared social media post, she insisted that Argentina was not a racist country because, unlike France, ‘“We never had colonies or second-class citizens. We never imposed our way of life on anyone.’
“Enough with faking indignation, hypocrites,” she added.
Milei removed Julio Garro, the undersecretary of sport, from his post for requesting that team captain Lionel Messi apologise for the chants.
The Argentine national team, world champion and two-time Copa America champion, cannot be influenced by the government, according to Milei’s office.
The Argentine presidency has scheduled a meeting with Macron and other French officials at the Elysee Palace on Friday.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
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