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AP:France star Kylian MbappĂ© yesterday condemned a Paraguayan senator over racist remarks she made following Paraguayâs loss to France in the round of 16 at the World Cup.MbappĂ© called Celeste Amarilla, a senator from Paraguayâs Liberal Radical Party, a âdespicable womanâ who was âunworthyâ of serving in Paraguayâs Congress.âThrough 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,â MbappĂ© wrote on X.Amarilla posted a series of racist comments on X after MbappĂ© converted the winning penalty in Franceâs victory over Paraguay on Saturday, mocking the French captainâs origins, upbringing, education and appearance. France advanced to the quarter-finals, where they will face Morocco on Thursday.The Paraguayan government released a statement on Monday afternoon condemning Amarillaâs remarks as âcontrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful co-existence and respect for human dignity that our country promotesâ. It added that the senatorâs comments do not represent either the Paraguayan government or the Paraguayan people.The French Football Federation (FFF) yesterday denounced Amarillaâs comments as âutterly abhorrentâ and âunacceptableâ, adding that it would refer the matter to prosecutors.Marina Ferrari, Franceâs sports minister, said she was âoutragedâ by Amarillaâs remarks and voiced her support for the national teamâs captain.âBy targeting Kylian MbappĂ©, the senator is attacking everything our captain embodies and everything our country stands for: liberty, equality and fraternity,â Ferrari wrote on X.Franceâs assistant coach Guy StĂ©phan also condemned the remarks yesterday.âIn three words, itâs indignant, abject, scandalous,â he said.The Associated Press sent a request for comment to Amarilla yesterday through her social media accounts.Before Saturdayâs match, former Paraguay goalkeeper JosĂ© Luis Chilavert referred to France as âa squad from Africaâ. Philippe Diallo, president of the FFF, said Chilavert âwas once a great goalkeeperâ who had now âfallen into disgrace.â
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