Griezmann’s contract cancelled after controversial video
Post created on July 8, 2021
France forward, Antoine Griezmann, has had his contract with Konami cancelled.
This comes after a controversial video from 2019 surfaced on social media this week.
The footage, taken before a Barcelona pre-season friendly, shows Griezmann and his teammate Ousmane Dembele mocking Japanese hotel staff who were fixing a TV.
Both players have since released statements apologising and insisting any comments they made were not racist.
However, Griezmann’s contract with the Japanese entertainment company has now been ripped up.
An official statement from the company read,
“Konami Digital Entertainment believes, as is the philosophy of sports, that discrimination of any kind is unacceptable.
“Previously we had announced Antoine Griezmann as our Yu-Gi-Oh! contents ambassador, however in light of recent events we have decided to cancel the contract.
“With regard to our eFootball PES franchise, we will be requesting FC Barcelona as a club partner to explain the details of this case and its future actions”.
What did Barcelona say?
Barcelona released a statement apologising to their Japanese fans and club partners over the video which has come to light involving Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele
Besides Konami, the video also has particularly enraged the CEO of Rakuten.
A statement from Barcelona read,
“FC Barcelona deeply regret the displeasure amongst Japanese and Asian fans and partners of our Club caused by a video that appeared a few days ago on social media in which two first team players [Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann] displayed a lack of respect in their attitude towards several employees in the hotel in which they were staying”.
“This attitude in no way coincides with the values that FC Barcelona represents and defends.
“The values of the Club and its partners should be something that FC Barcelona protects, and this belief is present at all levels of the organisation, from the Board of Directors and executives to the players in the Club’s various sporting teams.
“The Club is committed to improving its education on questions of race, discrimination and diversity. At FC Barcelona there is no place for racism or discrimination.
The club went on to state that they are committed to ensuring that such an incident never happens again.
“FC Barcelona would like to apologise publicly to all the Club’s fans and partners who feel unhappy about this event from the summer of 2019, a time when the Club’s responsibilities fell to a Board Directors and executive team previous to the current,” continued the statement.
“The Board of Directors that today manage the Club are committed to making sure episodes of this nature do not repeat themselves.
“The players have already shown their regret and have apologised to Japanese fans and partners, something that the Club values.
“Nevertheless, FC Barcelona reserve the right to take the internal measures that it considers appropriate.”
