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There is, apparently, one rule in Argentina.
“You do not, under any circumstances, criticize Lionel Messi.”
You may think we’re joking. But former Argentinian undersecretary for sport, Julio Garro, lost his job on Thursday after he called for Messi to apologize for a racially insensitive sung by the Argentina national team after winning the Copa America.
The song, which surfaced during the 2022 World Cup final, is aimed toward players for the French national team and goes as follows:
“Listen, spread the word. They play in France but they’re all from Angola. How lovely, they will run. They are trans lovers like that f** Mbappe. Your mom is Nigerian, your dad is Cameroonian. But on your ID, it says French nationality.”
The song makes light of many French players having African roots due to elder generations of their families hailing from French-run colonies on the continent.
“I think [Messi] should come out and offer the appropriate apologies, as should the Argentine Football Federation president [Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia],” Garro told radio station Urbana Play on Wednesday.
That apology never came.
La Oficina del Presidente informa que ningún gobierno puede decirle qué comentar, qué pensar o qué hacer a la Selección Argentina Campeona del Mundo y Bicampeona de América, ni a ningún otro ciudadano. Por esta razón, Julio Garro deja de ser Subsecretario de Deportes de la… pic.twitter.com/o4JRC7gGB1
— Oficina del Presidente (@OPRArgentina) July 17, 2024
“No government can tell what to comment, what to think or what to do to the Argentine National Team, World Champion and Two-time American Champion, or to any other citizen. For this reason, Julio Garro ceases to be Undersecretary of Sports of the Nation,” The account of Oficina del Presidente wrote on X on Thursday.
Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez came under fire for streaming video of the team singing the song. Several of his French Chelsea teammates criticized the video.
Fernandez later apologised, saying: “The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.”