Mexican National Team star Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez took to Twitter and Instagram to ask Mexico fans not to chant a notorious homophobic slur, which was reportedly heard in the stadium during Mexico's opening World Cup match.
- A star of the Mexican National Team has asked fans not to use a homophobic chant at matches, or else the federation might get fined.
- Mexico has already been fined several times for its fans' use of the chant, but the chant was still heard in the stadium at Mexico's opening World Cup match.
- FIFA is reportedly investigating the use of the chant at the World Cup.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has posted on Twitter asking fans of the Mexican National Team to stop using their "puto" chant, which is widely seen as a homophobic slur and even condemned by FIFA.
Chicharito's post calls for fans not to shout the slur, lest they risk a sanction, according to Google Translate. Chicharito also posted the same image on his Instagram story.
The Mexican National Team responded in agreement on Twitter and even pointed fans to a list of "Civility Rules" for fans on the team's website which expressly asks fans not to shout the slur.
The chant was heard in the stadium during Mexico's first World Cup match, a win over Germany, according to The New York Times. This report comes even though Mexico has already been fined several times for its use of the chant.
FIFA has since opened disciplinary proceedings against Mexico, according to a report from James Ellingworth in the Associated Press.
"As proceedings are ongoing please understand we cannot comment further at this stage," FIFA said in a statement, per the AP report.
In June FIFA announced new anti-discriminatory measures for the World Cup, which give referees the authority to halt a match and play a Public Service Announcement in the stadium asking fans to stop any discriminatory behavior (and even if it persists, suspend or abandon the match altogether.
However, the Mexico match was not halted.
"A public announcement was prepared, but the chants ceased," FIFA said in a statement, according to Ellingworth. "After the match and as an important step for further action, the incident was duly included in the match report, as well as the evidence produced by the anti-discrimination observers."