After winning Copa America, goodwill to Argentina has rapidly evaporated on the international scene after Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez went live on Instagram with what looked like much of the Argentina team bus singing a racist song about the France team. Fernandez has apologised, but so far is the only one to have shown any contrition.
Fernandez is facing disciplinary action from Chelsea pending an investigation, while France are to submit a complaint to FIFA. In Argentina, Deputy Sports Secretary Julio Garro told Urbana Play that Lionel Messi should apologise as captain, as should the President of the Argentina Football Association, as quoted by MD.
“I think that the captain of the national team should come out and apologise, as should the president of the AFA (Claudio Tapia). It is something that leaves us in a poor light as a country after so much glory,”
The following day, Garro lost his position as a result, with the President’s Office, held currently by populist Javier Milei, emitting the following statement on Twitter.
“The Office of the President reports that no government can tell the Argentine National Team, World Champion and Two-time American Champion, or any other citizen, what to comment, what to think or what to do to. For this reason, Julio Garro ceases to be Deputy Secretary 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
Remarkably, Garro then denied his comments made just hours earlier, also on X.
“I categorically deny that I have asked Messi to apologise. It would be a lack of respect for those who permanently honor us with their human and sporting quality.”
Desmiento categóricamente que haya solicitado a Messi que pida disculpas. Sería una falta de respeto a quien nos honra permanentemente con su calidad humana y deportiva.
— Julio Garro (@JulioGarro) July 17, 2024
Just ten hours later, Garro then appeared to have won his position back, although the ‘Office of the President account has maintained its statement without updating it.
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
“I want to thank the President Javier Milei for the trust in letting me be part of his team, Guillermo Francos and Daniel Scioli for the work we have carried out together these months and Mauricio Macri for always considering me.”
“I am very sorry if my comment offended anyone, that was never my intention, and that is why I put my resignation at their disposal, although I will always be on the other side of discrimination in all its forms.”
“Thanks to all the staff of the Undersecretariat, CeNARD and Enard for sharing dreams together. I send my wishes for success to the Government on this path of transformation and to all the Olympic and Paralympic athletes who will represent us as athletes before the world in Paris 2024.”
Vice-President of Argentina Victoria Villarruel seemed to see no issue with the racist song, and instead attacked France for pontificating to them on colonialism.
“Argentina is a sovereign and free country. We never had colonies or second-class citizens. We never imposed our way of life on anyone. But we are not going to tolerate them doing it to us either.”
Argentina es un país soberano y libre. Nunca tuvimos colonias ni ciudadanos de segunda. Nunca le impusimos a nadie nuestra forma de vida. Pero tampoco vamos a tolerar que lo hagan con nosotros. Argentina se hizo con el sudor y el coraje de los indios, los europeos, los criollos y… pic.twitter.com/Wkevi8TrVO
— Victoria Villarruel (@VickyVillarruel) July 17, 2024
“Argentina was made with the sweat and courage of the Indians, the Europeans, the Creoles and the blacks like Remedios del Valle, Sergeant Cabral and Bernardo de Monteagudo. No colonialist country is going to intimidate us for a football song or for telling the truths that they do not want to admit. Stop feigning indignation, hypocrites. Enzo, I’ll back you, Messi, thank you for everything! Argentines always with their heads held high! Long live Argentina!”
Amid the back and forth between Argentinian politics, one person who has remained silent is Messi himself. So far the captain of Argentina is yet to express a view on the matter, as is the case for the entire Argentina squad outside of Fernandez, who now faces an awkward return to Chelsea.
As an American I have been amused at the Europeans for over a decade at their sensitivity to free speech and the official “unofficial” office of “speech police” they seemed to have constructed throughout their culture.