Argentina’s Copa America 2024 victory party is sparking a lot of controversy and now, someone has lost their seat because of this incident.
Deputy Minister Garro (small photo) has just had to leave his seat.
On the bus while marching with the Argentine national team , Enzo Fernandez and some of his teammates used racist words aimed at the black French players. They ridiculed the African origin of their opponents, emphasizing that French players of Angolan, Cameroonian, etc. “come from Africa but they still have French passports.”
Enzo’s actions caused a public outcry, forcing him to apologize. The Chelsea midfielder then affirmed that he “has no racist tendencies”.
But France did not forgive him. The French Football Federation filed a lawsuit with FIFA, demanding an investigation and punishment of Enzo.
This incident escalated to a new level, when Deputy Minister of Sports Julio Garro wanted Messi to speak up and apologize, even though Messi himself was not racist and did not even appear on the bus celebrating with the Argentina team (staying in the US, not returning to Buenos Aires).
Messi has nothing to do with the scandal of insulting French players
“As captain of the national team and president of the Argentine Football Association, I think Messi and Mr. Tapia must come forward and apologize,” said Julio Garro. “This puts a country as glorious as Argentina in a bad situation. Their apology will help set an example.”
The statement was broadcast online, but Mr. Garro later denied it. He posted on social media: “I categorically deny asking Messi to apologize. To do so would be disrespectful to someone who has always honored the team with his human and sporting qualities.”
But for Julio Garro, it was too late. Just hours after his message to Messi, he was dismissed. La Nation wrote: “The deputy minister of sports, Julio Garro, said that Lionel Messi and the head of the Argentine Football Federation should apologize for the song. A few hours later, Garro was fired. He received a series of criticisms, including from the president of Argentina.”
