Deportivo Riestra, an Argentinian football club, has sparked outrage within the country’s football community after fielding an influencer with no professional experience in its starting lineup for a top-flight match. The move has been widely condemned as disrespectful to the sport and its players.
The influencer, known as “Spreen,” is a popular streamer with millions of followers on social media. He was selected for Riestra’s match against Primera Division leaders Velez Sarsfield on Monday, but was substituted off after just 78 seconds without touching the ball.
Riestra’s decision to field Spreen has been met with widespread criticism from football figures in Argentina. Juan Sebastian Veron, the former Manchester United and Argentina midfielder and current president of Estudiantes de La Plata, condemned the move as a “total lack of respect for football and footballers.”
Velez striker Braian Romero also spoke out against the decision, saying it showed a “lack of respect towards football” and sent a “bad message to society, to children, to those who try until the end” to break into the sport.
Riestra captain Milton Celiz defended the decision, saying that Spreen was a friend of the club and that he should be allowed to enjoy the experience. However, he also acknowledged the criticism, saying that it was “not our responsibility (as players), it’s a matter for the owners (of the club).”
Riestra released a statement saying that it had informed Velez of its intention to field Spreen a week before the match. The club also stated that its objective was to attract new audiences to football and build bridges between different worlds.
The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has asked its ethics committee to investigate the incident, citing “possible conduct that could damage Argentinian football’s reputation for integrity.”
