Source: Africa Publicity
France national football team captain, Kylian Mbappe, says Paraguayan senator, Celeste Amarilla a “despicable” woman who is “unworthy” of her position after she made a number of racist remarks mocking his Cameroonian heritage, physical look and education.
Amarilla, of Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, posted racist comments on X directed at Mbappe after her country’s defeat to France in the last 16 of the World Cup.
In one of her posts, Amarilla racially abused Mbappe and called him a “colonised Cameroonian who has really pretended to be French, embittered, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly”, accusing him of being “scared to death” during the game.
Mbappe responded in a post, saying “Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position.”
The Real Madrid striker says “You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition. Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country.”
Mbappe added “I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”
Amarilla’s racial comments have provoked an angry reaction in France, with the country’s sports minister, Marina Ferrari, describing them as “abject, disgraceful and all the more unacceptable coming from a politician”.
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the “racist attacks” directed at Mbappe.
“The President of the Republic stands with Kylian Mbappe and the French team in the face of the racist attacks directed at the Bleus’ captain,” the Elysee Palace says.
Meanwhile, the French Football Federation (FFF) has announced plans to file criminal charges, describing Amarilla’s remarks as “utterly abhorrent and unacceptable”.
In a statement, the FFF says “These remarks are criminal and reprehensible. They must be prosecuted here as elsewhere. The FFF is reporting the matter to the public prosecutor’s office with a view to legal proceedings.”
“These remarks bring shame upon those who make them and those who disseminate them. The players of the French national team represent France; it is our country that is being insulted.”
On its part, the Paraguayan government says it “deplores and rejects the statements” made by Amarilla, saying they are “contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity that our country promotes.”
Mbappe scored a winning penalty in the second half of Saturday’s tie, setting up a quarter-final against Morocco in Boston on Thursday.
