Argentina president Javier Milei fires and then reinstates sports secretary over Lionel Messi comments

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After winning the Copa America, good will Argentina quickly evaporated on the international stage after Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez went live on Instagram with what looked very much like the Argentina team bus singing a racist song about the France team . Fernandez has apologized, but so far he is the only one who has shown any contrition.

Fernandez faces disciplinary action from Chelsea pending an investigation, while France are set to file a complaint with FIFA. In Argentina, the undersecretary of Sport Julio Garro told Urbana Play Lionel Messi should apologize as captain, as the president of the Argentine Football Association, as mentioned by MD.

“I think the captain of the national team should come out and apologize, like the president of the AFA (Claudio Tapia). It's something that leaves us in a poor light as a country after so much glory.”

The next day, Garro lost his position as a result, with the Office of the President, currently held by the populist Javier Milei, issued the following statement on Twitter.

“The Office of the President reports that no government can tell the Argentine National Team, World Champion and American Champion twice, or any other citizen, what to comment, what to think or what to do. For this reason , Julio Garro will cease to be Deputy Secretary of Sports of the Nation”.

Remarkably, Garro then denied his comments made a few hours earlier, also on X.

“I categorically deny that I asked Messi to apologize. It would be a lack of respect for those who honor us permanently with their human and sporting quality.

Only ten hours later, Garro seemed to have regained his position, although the account of the Office of the President maintained his statement without updating.

“I want to thank President Javier Milei for the trust that allowed me to be part of his work team, Guillermo Francos and Daniel Scioli for the work we have carried out together in these months and Mauricio Macri for always considering me.”

“I am very sorry if my comment offended anyone, it 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 the discrimination in all its forms”.

“Thank you to all the staff of the Undersecretariat, CeNARD and Enard for sharing the dreams together. I send my best wishes to the Government on this path of transformation and to all the Olympic and Paralympic athletes who represent us as athletes in front of the world in Paris 2024”.

Argentina's vice president Victoria Villarruel seemed to have no problem with the racist song, and instead attacked France for pontificating on colonialism.

“Argentina is a sovereign and free country. We have never had colonies or second-class citizens. We have never imposed our way of life on anyone. But we will not tolerate them doing it to us either.”

“Argentina was made with the sweat and courage of Indians, Europeans, Creoles and blacks like Remedios del Valle, Sergeant Cabral and Bernardo de Monteagudo. No colonialist country will intimidate us for a football song or to tell the truths that they don't want to admit. Stop pretending to be indignant. Enzo, I thank you for everything! Long live Argentina!”

Amidst the back and forth between Argentine politics, one person who has remained silent is Messi himself. So far, the captain of Argentina has not yet expressed a view on the matter, as is the case for the entire Argentine team apart from Fernandez, who now makes an unfair return to Chelsea with three of his black teammates and French.





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