New Delhi: Argentinian club Deportivo Riestra has sparked controversy in the country for “lack of respect for football” after a social media influencer was named in their starting lineup for a top-flight game against Velez Sarsfield on Monday. Coach Cristian Fabbiani named Ivan Buhajeruk, better known as “Spreen,” as the striker without prior professional football experience. Buhajeruk has over 5 million followers on Instagram and 8 million subscribers on YouTube.
The 24-year-old streamer was subbed within seconds in the first half of the game without touching the ball. The club from Buenos Aires, known for unconventional marketing schemes, had given Buhajeruk a professional contract and even registered him in the Argentinian FA back in February. He started training with the side recently. Riestra’s post announcing Spreen’s inclusion in their lineup on ‘X’ got them 3.4 million views, compared to some thousands they would receive for regular games.
Estos son los 11 titulares para el partido ante Vélez
Vamos!!!🖤🤍#RiestraEsFamilia pic.twitter.com/NDnX8LuSi7
— Deportivo Riestra (@prensariestra) November 11, 2024
Former Argentina footballers react to Buhajeruk’s involvement
Argentina’s footballers have expressed their displeasure at the event. Juan Sebastian Veron, a former Manchester United and Argentina midfielder, took to Instagram and condemned the stunt as not showing “respect “ for the game and its players.
The current president of Estudiantes de La Plata wasn’t the only one to express their anger at the stunt. Velez striker Braian Romero also noted that it wasn’t the right way to promote football and was sending a “bad message” to children and the next generation of players who are trying to make it in sports.
The club’s top executives have defended the antics and claimed they were a push for their main sponsor, an energy drink company. In their statement, Riestra noted that the intention was not to disrespect their opponents or Argentina’s football heritage and noted that Velez was given prior notification about Buhajeruk’s involvement a week before.
Further, Riestra has said that the objective of such actions was to attract a new audience to the game. They further noted that after being promoted last season, they have enjoyed some great football and would like to mediate between different channels and “strengthen” both football and the club.
Riestra captain Milton Celiz spoke at the event and noted that Spreen was a “friend of the club” and had a contract with the club. He noted that everyone wants to play in the first division and should be allowed to enjoy the atmosphere. Celiz, however, has said that while he understands “the criticism,” the players were not the ones who made the decision, and the onus is more on the owner.
Coach Fabbiani told local media that he had told Velez coach Gustavo Quinteros before the game not to disrespect anyone by naming Buhajeruk on the team. He further noted that the stunt was more in accordance with the deal signed a long while ago and will most likely be a one-time occurrence.
Argentina club draws criticism after a social media influencer was included in the first XI of the team in a top flight game despite having no prior experience in professional football. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
