Paraguayan senator threatens to sue Mbappé: 'You have no idea who I am'
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla threatened legal action against French footballer Kylian Mbappé.
- Amarilla demanded Mbappé retract his insults, which she deemed "despicable" and "unworthy of his position."
- The senator's initial comments, calling Mbappé "arrogant, nouveau riche, arrogant, and ugly," followed France's World Cup victory over Paraguay.
Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla has escalated her public dispute with French football star Kylian Mbappé, threatening legal action if he does not retract his recent comments. Mbappé had reportedly called Amarilla "a despicable woman unworthy of her position" in response to her earlier insults directed at him.
He has to retract with me, he has to retract with me because he is messing with a senator of the Paraguayan nation, he is also messing with Paraguay.
During a press conference at the Senate, Amarilla stated, "He has to retract with me, he has to retract with me because he is messing with a senator of the Paraguayan nation, he is also messing with Paraguay." She declared herself a victim of political and gender-based violence by the player and indicated she was close to filing a lawsuit, stating, "I could still do it, let's see how far it goes."
Of course I was offended, and with sufficient reason to file a lawsuit against Mbappé. Yesterday I was about to, I can still do it, let's see how far it goes.
Amarilla's initial tirade against Mbappé occurred after France eliminated Paraguay in the World Cup's round of 16. Following the match, where Mbappé scored the winning penalty, Paraguay's goalkeeper offered him a handshake, which Mbappé reportedly refused. In response, Amarilla took to social media to call Mbappé "arrogant, nouveau riche, arrogant, and ugly." She also questioned his origins and nationality, referring to him as a "colonized Cameroonian" who pretends to be French.
Retract with me and apologize to me, otherwise I can initiate legal action for gender violence.
Her comments, which have been widely criticized as racist and discriminatory, included remarks about his intelligence and appearance. Amarilla later attempted to downplay her statements, suggesting that some individuals of African descent "cry when they are called Africans." She cited the legal principle of 'ius sanguinis' to argue that nationality is inherited, not based on appearance or cultural assimilation, referencing her own hypothetical child born in Japan being Paraguayan.
Arrogant, nouveau riche, arrogant, and ugly.
Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.