Mbappe hits out at Paraguayan politician for ‘brazen’ racism | Football | Sport

France superstar Kylian Mbappe has branded Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla ‘despicable and unworthy’ of her role following a vile racist outburst on social media. The Real Madrid forward netted the only goal as Les Bleus secured a 1-0 victory over the South American nation in the Round of 16.

The fractious encounter saw Didier Deschamps’ men grind through a bruising affair in which the Paraguayans remarkably avoided a single yellow card despite a string of reckless challenges on the World Cup favourites. France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals, yet the controversy surrounding Thursday’s match continues to simmer. Amarilla serves as a senator for Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, and the political figure has made no attempt to conceal her fury following her country’s elimination. The 61-year-old unleashed a torrent of abuse across social media, directing a series of vicious posts laden with foul language and racial undertones squarely at Mbappe.

Several days after France’s advancement, with their sights firmly set on a semi-final berth at another World Cup, Mbappe publicly confronted Amarilla. He wrote in a tweet: “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. 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.” The French Football Federation condemned Amarilla’s comments, branding them as “utterly abhorrent and unacceptable” and confirmed they would be forwarding them to the public prosecutor’s office with a view to pursuing legal action.

In a tweet, they said: “The racist remarks made by Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla targeting Kylian Mbappé are utterly abhorrent and unacceptable. How can anyone make such comments? These remarks are criminal and deserve condemnation. They must be prosecuted, here and elsewhere. The FFF is referring the matter to the public prosecutor’s office with a view to legal proceedings.

“The Federation offers its full support to its captain, its players and, more broadly, to all victims of such hateful remarks. More than ever, the FFF remains committed to fighting racism and all forms of discrimination. These comments bring shame on those who make them and those who spread them. The players of the French national team represent France, it is our country that has been insulted.

“It appears that Amarilla’s social media activity against Mbappe isn’t an isolated incident, as she warned not to let her into the stadium, as she threatened to turn into a hardcore fan before expressing disdain towards the footballer.”

The fallout from the unsavoury confrontation in New York has spilled into the media, with Deschamps alleging he was subjected to abuse following the victory. Meanwhile, former Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert ignited a racism row ahead of the fixture after claiming that the tournament favourites are a ‘squad from Africa’.