Surprise: the UAR lifted the sanctions on the three Pumas players suspended for xenophobic and discriminatory messages

football
December 3, 2020
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Just 48 hours after being suspended, the Argentina Rugby Union lifted the sanctions that weighed on Pablo Matera, Guido Petti and Santiago Socino, the members of the The Pumas those who had been detected xenophobic and discriminatory messages on their Twitter timeline. In this way, the three could be at the disposal of head coach Mario Ledesma for Saturday’s game against Australia, for the Three Nations.

The pressure of leaders of the activity who expressed themselves publicly, such as Agustín Creevy, and of the clubs, such as Regatas and Olivos, caused the amnesty. Also the fact that, in Oceania, some of his colleagues warned that if those indicated were not authorized, they would not participate in the next match. The UAR had suspended the three players and had removed the captaincy from Matera, after the viralization of the tweets, which dated from 2012. So, in the case of Matera, for example, he was 19 years old and already represented Los Pumitas. A year later he wore the shirt of the senior team for the first time.

The reprehensible content of the publications and their impact on public opinion had caused several of the sponsors who accompany Los Pumas to request a sanction and threatened to withdraw their support. Even Eliseo Branca, historical of the selected one, declared in TyC Sports that, if Matera’s authorship was confirmed, he deserved “something exemplary” and spoke of a “lifelong suspension.”

The UAR statement, published Monday night, was blunt. It resolved “in the first place, revoke the captaincy of Pablo Matera and request the staff to propose a new captain to the Board of Directors. Secondly, suspend Pablo Matera, Guido Petti and Santiago Socino from the national team until their disciplinary situation is defined. In third place, initiate a disciplinary process against the three mentioned players, in charge of the Disciplinary Commission of the Argentine Rugby Union ”.

It all started after Los Pumas decided to apologize for the brief tribute to Maradona on the occasion of the duel against the All Blacks, and in contrast to the New Zealand team, which did deepen in recognition of the death of the soccer star. Pablo Matera led the way in the filming. Immediately, his old discriminatory and xenophobic tweets came to light. Immediately afterwards, those of Petti and Socino sprouted.

Matera was also the first to come out to ask for forgiveness. “I am very ashamed. Apologies to all those who were offended by the atrocities I wrote. At that moment I did not imagine who I was going to become. Today I have to take charge of what I said 9 years ago. I’m also sorry to my team and my family for the moment they are going through my actions and thanks to the people who love me for their support, ”he wrote on his Instagram account.

Then came Petti’s regret: “I wanted to tell you that I am very sorry and ashamed for what I ever said. Without the intention of justifying it for the 8 years that passed, those messages, which I completely repudiate today, they do not represent at all the person I am today”. And, in a cascade, the mea culpa of hooker Socino appeared: “I am very sorry and ashamed of my sayings that went viral today. I want to apologize to those who may have offended with what I said at the time, and what I absolutely repudiate. I never realized what it could cause, and I do not seek to justify it with the immaturity with which I handled myself ”.

Does the lifting of the sanction imply that the tweets episode will be forgotten? Sources close to the UAR indicate that they will evaluate the steps to follow once Argentina’s participation against Australia is over, with the squad back in Buenos Aires, as was going to happen at first.

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