The former Atlético Madrid goalkeeper 'Mono' Burgos will no longer take part in football programmes with Movistar Plus+ after his "unfortunate comments" about Lamine Yamal in the minutes before PSG-Barça Champions League kick-off. This has been announced by the Spanish pay television platform in a statement, in which it also warns its presenters to avoid future inappropriate comments. "In compliance with the internal code of conduct of Movistar Plus+, which contemplates a policy of zero tolerance with any discriminatory behaviour, the platform has taken measures after the episode experienced last night, where one of its collaborators let out inappropriate comments about the player Lamine Yamal. Movistar Plus+ and Germán 'El Mono' Burgos will immediately cease to collaborate in the platform's programming and the presenters of the space where these comments occurred will be warned," reads the communicado.
That is the consequence of the comment made by Germán Burgos, which at first remained in the background, as attention was focused on the Champions League match, which started minutes afterwards. It all happened shortly before kick-off, as the cameras picked up images of Lamine Yamal juggling the ball as he headed to the dressing room after the warm-up. Susana Guasch, host of the programme, highlighted Yamal's quality with the ball, to which Germán Burgos added: "If he doesn't do well, he'll end up at the traffic lights." Some members of the commentary team laughed at the joke.
Joint boycott of Movistar Plus+ by Barça, PSG and UEFA
While the football world was focused on the thrilling match unfolding at the Parc dels Prínceps, the soundbite of Mono Burgos's comment, which has now been deleted, began to go viral on social media, reaching the ears of Barça, PSG and UEFA, who decided to take joint action in the matter. The three entities, by way of a protest, agreed that no player would attend to the Movistar Plus+ microphones after the match, as reported by the channel's on-field reporter Ricardo Sierra. "UEFA, PSG and FC Barcelona have notified us that no player will speak to us because they are extremely offended and angry about a comment that was made on set during the preview. I have conveyed my apologies to them from here, and I understand that we also have to do it from the set because we have not been lucky," explained the reporter.
The snowball had become huge and Germán Burgos decided to make an apology from the set itself. "It was a comment without wanting to hurt anyone. If anyone was offended, I apologize publicly because it was not the intention. In this age you have to adapt to everything and that's where we are." Then it was the turn of Movistar Plus+ itself. "On the occasion of the unfortunate comments of one of the collaborators of Movistar Plus+ in the preview of the match of the UEFA Champions League between PSG-FC Barcelona about the blaugrana player Lamine Yamal, the platform apologizes publicly".
Si normalizamos el lenguaje clasista y racista luego no nos quejemos de que los hijos de inmigrantes se radicalicen. Movistar y Mono Burgos al rincón de pensar. Memos. pic.twitter.com/R5yQr3wmnu
— Frederic Guich (@FredericGuich) April 11, 2024
X user Frederic Guich made the comment: "If we normalize classist and racist language then we can't complain when children of immigrants become radicalized. Movistar and Mono Burgos into the corner to give it some thought."
Press release from Germán Burgos
The apology by the commentator was not enough: this Thursday the impact of the affair continued to spread, so Burgos decided to issue a statement. "I make this statement reiterating my apologies for my words in yesterday's programme. It was not my intention to harm Lamine Yamal, the people of FC Barcelona, the players, UEFA, or the Movistar Plus+ platform where I work. When making my comment I chose to make a joke about [his] quality and praise his virtues, in no way was it about any ethnicity or social class. After being in football for so many years, it's exciting to see the young players in the squad. I especially admire the amount of new talent Barça is bringing out because I think this quality always wins in the end. I'm a coach who favours developing youth and in all the teams I've been in I've been concerned about bringing young people to train with the first team. I apologize to anyone who was offended by my comment. My intention was not to insult Lamine Yamal, on the contrary."
The formal statement from Germán Burgos, however, was not enough for Movistar Plus+, who subsequently published a second statement to announce the end of the collaboration between the former goalkeeper and the pay TV platform.