An outspoken former Real Madrid midfielder Royston Drenthe has claimed that Lionel Messi has on several occasions referred to him using a racial term during their meetings in the Spanish premier league, sparking an international debate on the use of language and racism in sport.
Drenthe, who is aged 38 years, informed reporters that Messi had called him Negro several times before and after a match, terming it as uncomfortable and disrespectful.
Drenthe said the tone it used irritated me. I appreciate that the word may be used in South America, but that does not imply that it should be used everywhere.
The Dutch player pointed to a game between Hercules CF and Barcelona, he remembered that Messi greeted him with Hola negro before the match started, but he did not shake his hand at the end. Drenthe claimed that these experiences made him feel like being sidelined considering that Messi was a role model and one of the greatest players in football.
Drenthe made 65 appearances with Real Madrid between 2007 and 2012, in addition to playing with Hercules and the Netherlands national team. He has played three games with Messi, with one victory being the only one when he was playing for Hercules.
Both Messi and Barcelona have not responded to the accusations. This has raised a lot of controversy over the Internet, with some arguing in favor of Messi based on the idea of cultural appropriateness (since negro may be informally used in Argentina before arguing that the racial overture cannot be overlooked when dealing with international affairs).
The scandal has sparked renewed debate on the need to be more culturally sensitive and inclusive in the sport of football all over the world as players and fans manoeuvre through the multifaceted nature of language between nations.