Argentina was confirmed as the world’s No. 1 team in the FIFA men’s rankings on Thursday, as the national government doubled down on defending the players who celebrated winning the Copa America by singing a racist song targeting No. 2-ranked France.
The fallout of the chant sung late on Sunday in Miami — which mocked the African heritage of some France players — continued four days later, including a rebuke to Argentina’s critics by the vice president in its far-right government.
Argentina’s government on Wednesday fired one of its leading sports officials who urged Lionel Messi and the president of the Argentine Football Association to apologize.
The sports under-secretary, Julio Garro, spoke after FIFA said it was looking into the incident and English club Chelsea started a disciplinary process against its midfielder Enzo Fernandez. He broadcast the footage on social media from the Argentina team bus in Florida.
Fernandez later published an apology on his Instagram account, which disappeared by Thursday, saying he was “truly sorry. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character.”
However, a defiant post by the vice president of Argentina, Victoria Villarruel, on social media hit back at the country’s critics. “No country with a colonial history is going to put us down for a song sung on a field nor for speaking a truth that nobody wants to admit,” Villarruel wrote.
“Enough of pretending to be offended, hypocrites. Enzo I am with you, Messi I am with you, the whole of Argentina always keeps your heads high! Long live Argentina!” she added.
Fernandez said Argentina’s history had been forged by people of all races: “We always have and will be friends of anyone, nor will we tolerate that someone tries to denigrate us.”
AP
