New Delhi: The Argentina government has sacked their Undersecretary for Sports, Julio Garro, on Thursday, following his apology demand from Argentina national football team captain, Lionel Messi, and Argentina Football Association president, Claudio Fabian Tapia, over the racism chants’ controversy.
During Argentina’s Copa America 2024 victorious celebrations in Buenos Aires, a video posted on the Instagram account of Argentina mid-fielder Enzo Fernandez emitted a massive controversy in the world football. Fernandez and some of his teammates were heard chanting racial abuse against French footballers of African origin in a derogatory song.
“They play for France, but their parents are from Angola. Their mother is from Cameroon, while their father is from Nigeria. But their passport says French,” these were the chants sung by Fernandez and his teammates.
Le football en 2024 : racisme décomplexé 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/MGkH5wPmNU
— Wesley Fofana (@Wesley_Fofana3) July 16, 2024
Although there is no confirmation on Messi’s involvement in the song, Julio Garro asked the iconic footballer and AFA president Tapia to make a public apology on behalf of the national team.
“The national team captain must also come out to apologize for this case. The same AFA (Argentina Football Association) president,” Garro said in radio statements. “I think it is appropriate. It leaves us as a country in a bad position, with so much glory.”
Julio Garro faces wrath of Javier Milei’s office
Julio Garro’s remarks didn’t go well with the Javier Milei-led government, and as a result, he was removed from his post on Thursday. The office of the President stated that no government official can direct any action from the national team or any of its member while sacking him from the Undersecretary for Sports post.
“The Office of the President reports that no government can tell the Argentine National Team, World Champion and Two-time American Champion, what to say, what to think or what to do, or any other citizen. For this reason, Julio Garro ceases to be Undersecretary of Sports of the Nation,” read the statement from President’s Office (as translated from Spanish to English).
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
Following his removal by the government, Garro apologised for his remarks but continued to stand against discrimination.
“I am very sorry if my comment offended anyone, that was never my intention, and that is why I made my resignation available, although I will always be on the other side of discrimination in all its forms,” Garro wrote on his official Twitter handle ((as translated from Spanish to English).
Quiero agradecerle al Presidente @JMilei por la confianza al dejarme ser parte de su equipo de trabajo, a @GAFrancosOk y a @danielscioli por el laburo que llevamos adelante juntos estos meses y a @mauriciomacri por tenerme siempre en cuenta.
Lamento mucho si mi comentario…
— Julio Garro (@JulioGarro) July 18, 2024
Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America 2024 final played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida. Lautaro Martinez’s solitary goal in the extra time (112th minute) helped Argentina to defend their Copa America title, making it their third major international achievement after the 2021 Copa America in Brazil and 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Argentina government has sacked their Undersecretary for Sports, Julio Garro, on Thursday, following his apology demand from Argentina national football team captain, Lionel Messi, and Argentina Football Association president, Claudio Fabian Tapia, over the racism chants’ controversy. Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
