A state official has now been fired by the Argentina government for asking Lionel Messi to apologise for the racism saga the national team is embroiled in.
After being crowned the winners of the 2024 Copa America early on Monday morning, Argentina are now the subject of a massive controversy after some of their players were caught singing racist chants on an Instagram live video by midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
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The incident has prompted huge outrage, with a number of Fernandez's teammates at Chelsea having been left incensed by his actions, particular the French players.
The French Football Federation has also condemned the chants, which are specifically aimed at French players who have African lineage.
Argentina captain Messi is believed to have been absent during the incident along with a few other players, and is yet to comment on the issue.
With the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner maintaining his silence on the matter so far, Argentine Undersecretary of Sports Julio Garro recently demanded an apology from Messi and the country's football federation.
"The national team captain must also come out to apologise for this case. The same [for the] AFA (Argentine Football Association) president. I think it is appropriate. It leaves us as a country in a bad position, with so much glory," Garro had said in radio statements, according to Time Magazine.
However, shortly after Garro's statements were aired, Argentina president Javier Millei's office fired Garro from his role with immediate effect.
The president's office stated on X that: "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."
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
Garro has since apologised for his statement, saying that "offending anyone was never my intention, and that is why I have offered my resignation, although I will always be on the other side of discrimination in all its forms".
To add to matters, Argentina's vice-president Victoria Villarruel has since expressed her support for both Fernandez and Messi, whilst labelling France as "colonialists".
"No colonialist country is going to intimidate us for a song on the pitch or for telling the truths they don't want to admit," Villarruel posted on her account on X.
"Argentina is a sovereign and free country. We never had colonies or second-class citizens. We have never imposed our way of life on anyone.
"But neither will we tolerate that they do it to us ... Enzo I support you, (Lionel) Messi, thanks for everything! Argentinians always hold your head up high."
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