Movistar fires German Burgos after scandalous comments; Barcelona and PSG launch boycott
Movistar fired commentator German Burgos after scandalous comments about Barcelona's young star Lamine Yamal. Both Barcelona and PSG boycotted interviews with the broadcaster. Here are the details.
German Burgos, Movistar’s veteran commentator, made unacceptable comments on air about Barcelona’s young Lamine Yamal, who will face Paris St-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League quarterfinals.
“If things don’t go well for him, he could end up at a traffic light,” Burgos said, referring to footage of Yamal doing kick-ups during training. These words resonated widely on social media and in the soccer world.
Movistar’s Reaction and Burgos’ Dismissal
The broadcaster Movistar was quick to issue a statement after the unfortunate incident, stating that Burgos’ remarks were unacceptable and that it would not allow any employee or collaborator to make discriminatory comments. Burgos’ comments prompted a boycott by Barcelona and PSG, with both clubs canceling scheduled post-match interviews with Movistar.
Reactions from the Football World
Barcelona and PSG issued statements condemning Burgos’ comments. The Barcelona club stated that football is a unifying force and that they have made their stance against racism and discrimination clear. PSG issued a similar statement, saying they oppose any discriminatory remarks against their players.
Apology from German Burgos
After the incident escalated, German Burgos publicly apologized for his comment. In a statement he said, “It was a comment that was not meant to hurt anyone. We are talking about soccer, nothing else.
If this comment made him feel offended, I apologize to Lamine and to the public.” Burgos’ leadership and experience throughout his footballing career was overshadowed by this unfortunate comment.
Who is Lamine Yamal?
Lamine Yamal, 16, was born in Spain to parents of Moroccan and Equatorial Guinean descent. The youngster has six caps for Spain and made history by becoming the youngest player to appear in a Champions League quarterfinal against PSG.
Conclusion and Next Steps
This incident has once again highlighted the importance of social justice and equality in the world of soccer. Movistar announced that it will take the necessary measures and establish a stricter internal control mechanism to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
It was emphasized that all stakeholders must take responsibility to prevent such incidents from damaging the unifying spirit of the sport. This is also a warning to announcers and commentators, who should be more careful in their public statements.
