A Talleres defender accused Bobadilla, from São Paulo, of xenophobia during a game between the teams for the Libertadores, on Tuesday (27/5)
Talleres left-back Miguel Navarro detailed the argument he had with Paraguayan midfielder Bobadilla, from São Paulo, during the tricolor’s 2-1 victory over the Argentine team on Tuesday (27/5), at Morumbis, in the sixth and final round of the group stage of the Copa Libertadores. “It’s really regrettable to talk about this kind of thing. When São Paulo made it 2-1, I told the referee to restart the game quickly, because Luciano was practically running around the field celebrating and we needed to play”, Navarro began.
“Bobadilla told me that I was always wasting time, and I replied that I couldn’t be wasting time because they were winning. That’s when he called me a ‘starving Venezuelan’”— Navarro, from Talleres
Bobadilla’s alleged insult was related to the difficult situation the Venezuelan people are going through. In recent years, millions of people have had to emigrate due to the state of emergency in the country, with some having nothing to eat.
That’s exactly why Navarro couldn’t contain himself and burst into tears on the pitch. The Talleres player didn’t want to continue playing, but he had to continue until the final whistle, since his team had made all of its substitutions and couldn’t afford to play with one man less for the remaining minutes.
“I wanted to leave, but unfortunately we didn’t have any more substitutions. Given the work my teammates did, I didn’t want to leave the pitch, leaving the team with one less player. My head wasn’t in that place at that moment,” he continued. “May justice be served. Last year, when we came to play here, two of our players were taken to the police. They make a fuss when something happens to them, but now that it happened to me, the first time this has happened to me, it is regrettable. After a game, what we need to talk about is the game’s issues,” concluded Navarro. The Talleres player gave a statement at the Jecrim (Special Criminal Court), still at Morumbis. Bobadilla, in turn, should clarify the case to the police in the coming days.
After the game, Talleres also made an official statement about the alleged offense directed at Miguel Navarro while still on the field. We at Club Atlético Talleres would like to express our strongest repudiation of the xenophobic act suffered by our player Miguel Navarro. We deeply sympathize with Miguel and his family at this time. As an institution, we speak out against any form of discrimination. There is no place for hatred in football. Football is a tool for integration, respect and unity between cultures. We will continue working to ensure that these values prevail on and off the field. Miguel, we are proud of you and your origins. The entire Talleres supports you.
