Argentine Deputy Sports Minister Fired for Rebuking Messi for His Team’s Racist Chant
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Argentine Deputy Sports Minister Julio Garro has been dismissed from office after demanding national football team captain Lionel Messi apologize for a racist song about the French national team, the office of President Javier Milei said. “The Office of the President informs that no government has the right to tell the Argentine national team, a world champion and two-time of American champion, or any other citizen, what to comment, what to think and what to do. That is why Julio Garro ceases to be the deputy sports minister,” the office said on X. 
AmericasArgentina May Lose Its Place in Global Trade Due to Actions of Government – Lawmaker15 July, 16:09 GMTAfter winning the Copa America championship in a game against Colombia, several Argentine players sang a song written by their fans in in 2022 when Argentina played the final game against France in that year’s FIFA World Cup. The lyrics include the assertion that that all French national team players are from Angola and live with transvestites, referring to Kylian Mbappe’s relationship with transgender model Ines Rau. Part of the player’s singing was broadcast on Instagram (owned by Meta, banned in Russia for extremism). On Wednesday, Garro told the Urbana Play radio broadcaster that Messi should apologize.