Mexican football authority fined for fan’s homophobic chants.
Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has fined Mexico’s football federation $10,000 for what it called ‘discriminatory and insulting chants’ during the team’s 1-0 win over Germany last Sunday.
Calls to end Mexican wave of homophobic chants.
FIFA said it also warned the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) it could face ‘additional sanctions’ if there are ‘repeated infringements’. A similar warning was made in November 2017.
Meanwhile, Mexican striker Javier Hernandez appealed to fans to stop their homophobic chanting at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
‘To all Mexican fans in the stadiums, don’t shout ‘Puto’,’ Hernandez said on his Instagram account. ‘Let’s not risk another sanction.’
Striker Hernandez wants fans to stop chanting slur. Photo: Javier Hernandez, Instagram
Mexico chant is slang for a male sex worker
Mexicans have long shouted the word, which is for a male sex worker, at games during the goal kicks of opposing teams. Gay rights groups argue the chant is homophobic.
The FMF was sanctioned 12 times for homophobic chanting during the World Cup qualifying campaign. It received warnings for the first two offences and fines for 10 more, Reuters reported.
The chant was widely heard at Mexico games in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when FIFA took no action, but the governing body has since launched a clamp-down. Other Latin American teams, including Argentina and Chile, have also been fined.
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