Real Madrid's new jewel accused of racism
Franco Mastantuono became the youngest player in the history of the Argentine national team at the beginning of June.
He is the rising star of Argentinian football. Approaching his 18th birthday (which he celebrates on August 14th), Franco Mastantuono has just signed for Real Madrid for €63 million, after breaking through in the legendary River Plate jersey. Having made his debut with the reigning world champion team earlier this month, becoming the youngest player in the history of the Albiceleste, the left-footed playmaker is considered the successor to Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
While he's on a roll in his sporting career, having joined the Spanish giants this summer after playing in the Club World Cup with River Plate, Mastantuono has been the subject of accusations of racism on social media. These accusations stem from a match clip from February 14 and have resurfaced following his high-profile transfer.
On the sidelines of a South American U20 Championship match between Argentina and Brazil, Franco Mastantuono verbally attacked one of his opponents, Igor Serrote, after the latter provoked the Argentinian crowd at the final whistle. Serrote pointed at the Brazilian federation crest before holding up his five fingers to the stands, a reminder of the number of World Cups won by the Seleçao.
Having witnessed the scene from afar, Mastantuono then blurted out in his direction: "You ate six," in reference to a 0-6 victory for the Argentinians on the same Brazilian pitch a few weeks earlier. Afterward, the star added a word whose interpretation is debated. While some read "muerto" (which could be translated in context as "loser" or any other such invective), others believe he used the much more problematic term "negro."
To date, this statement has not prompted any statements from the Argentine and Brazilian federations, nor from CONMEBOL (the South American Football Confederation), nor has it led to the opening of an investigation. Is this a cover-up, or a sign that this is simply a biased approach, motivated by a desire for controversy? In Argentina and Madrid, at least, we know the answer.
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