By Rohith Nair
MIAMI, July 6 (Reuters) – France striker Kylian Mbappe hit back at a Paraguayan senator, describing her as a “despicable woman” on Monday after she launched a racist attack on him following Paraguay’s elimination from the World Cup.
Mbappe’s penalty proved the difference in a bruising and ill-tempered match as France won 1-0 in Philadelphia on Saturday to advance to the quarter-finals.
Celeste Amarilla wrote a long, racist tirade on X, describing Mbappe as a “colonised Cameroonian, desperately trying to pass himself off as French,” and as a “brute” who had not learned to write.
Paraguay’s players should have slapped him after the match, she added.
Mbappe, the France captain, responded with a strongly worded statement defending not only himself but also the Paraguay players.
“Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition,” he wrote.
“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.
“I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
The French Football Federation (FFF) escalated the matter, announcing plans to file a criminal complaint, describing her remarks as “utterly abhorrent and unacceptable”.
“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,” it said.
“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.”
The Paraguayan government said 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.”
“The statements of the aforementioned legislator correspond exclusively to the exercise of her individual responsibility as a member of the Legislative Branch and in no way represent the position of the Government of the Republic of Paraguay or the Paraguayan people,” it said in a statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said the Paraguayan president had written to him to express support and condemned the remarks.
Basilio Nunez, the leader of the legislature, said the comments do not represent the “genuine values” of Paraguayans.
“As President of the National Congress, I strongly reject racist, xenophobic messages and those that incite violence against any person,” Nunez said.
“The Paraguayan national team gave their all with honour and grit at the World Cup. Politics and sports should be kept separate.”
France’s assistant coach Guy Stephan said: “We haven’t spoken with Kylian yet, haven’t had the opportunity.
“But in three words: it’s disgraceful, vile, outrageous.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Miami, additional reporting by Javier Leira and Nick Mulvenney; editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)
