By CARLOS RODRIGUEZ and MARIA VERZA, Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Soccer star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is facing a backlash from Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and others for remarks posted on his social media accounts about gender roles.
“Chicharito is a very good soccer player,” Sheinbaum said at a news conference Wednesday. “But when it comes to his opinion on women … he still has a lot to learn.”
She described the former Mexico international’s ideas as “very sexist.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker, who plays for Chivas, is injured and missed the first two matches of Mexico’s Apertura tournament.
Over the weekend, he posted several reels and videos, mainly on Instagram.
“Don’t be afraid to be women, to allow yourselves to be led by a man,” the 37-year-old Hernandez said. “Women, you are failing, you are eradicating masculinity, making society hypersensitive.”
Hernandez, the all-time leading scorer for the Mexican national team with 52 goals, returned to Mexico last year on a two-year deal with Chivas, the team where he began his professional career in 2006.
“You women need to learn to accept and honor masculinity,” he said in another one of his posts.
In another, he said to the camera: “You want a man to provide, but for you, cleaning is patriarchal oppression… interesting.”
Sheinbaum, a 63-year-old scientist, was elected last year as the first female president in the country’s 200-year history.
“I’m a mother, I’m a grandmother, I’m also a housewife,” the president added Wednesday. “But I’m also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Women can be whatever we want.”
Hernandez is a divorced father of two who has a habit of kneeling in the middle of the pitch to pray before the start of matches. He began creating content for a YouTube channel where he portrayed his life as a player with West Ham and his marriage.
Hernandez had a low profile on social media before hiring life coach Diego Dreyfus, to whom many attribute much of “Chicharito’s” new persona.
Criticism followed his recent statements, with some urging him to limit himself to soccer, given that his performance since returning to the Mexican league last year has not been as expected.
Hernandez, who also played for Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham and Sevilla, has scored just two goals in 25 matches in his first two tournaments back in Mexico.
A few hours after the president’s remarks, Hernandez was fined by the by the Gender and Diversity Commission of the Mexican Soccer Federation and by Chivas.
“A few days ago, on the social platform Javier Chicharito Hernández made statements that promote sexist stereotypes that are considered media violence and go against gender equality in the sport,” a statement from the federation said.
The federation did not disclose the amount of the fine but said that a more severe penalty awaits if he does it again.
Chivas didn’t mention Hernandez by name in announcing its fine, only saying that the team is against “behavior that reinforces stereotypes that limit the freedom, respect, and full development of all people, both inside and outside of sports.”
This is the first time that the federation has sanctioned a player for misogynistic comments. Earlier this year businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego, the owner of the Mazatlán and Puebla clubs, made harsh statements about female journalists and was left unpunished.
Chicharito has been banned from the national team since 2019 after he, alongside other players, organized a non-authorized party in New York after a game against the United States.
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