Japanese video game publisher Konami lets go of Griezmann after controversial video
French striker Antoine Griezmann (left) and French striker Ousmane Dembele arrive for a training session at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on June 7, 2021. AFP - FRANCK FIFE
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Konami, the Japanese video game publisher, cancels the contract that binds him with Antoine Griezmann.
A retaliatory measure against the dissemination of a video considered racist where Ousmane Dembelé is ironic about the physique and the language of an employee of a hotel in Japan, under the amused gaze of the French striker.
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The video dates from 2019, but it resurfaced on social networks, arousing the indignation of Japanese sponsors.
We see the French FC Barcelona striker Ousmane Dembélé calling out his teammate Antoine Griezmann while technicians are busy around a TV in a hotel room.
He is ironic about their physique and their language under the gaze of his partner, amused, but silent.
The two players initially denied the facts before apologizing publicly.
But that will not have convinced the Japanese publisher.
“
Discrimination in any form is unacceptable,
” said Konami, who publishes a football game on consoles every year.
“
Previously, we had announced Antoine Griezmann as our Yu-Gi-Oh! Content ambassador, but in light of recent events, we have decided to cancel the contract.
"End of shoot for Antoine Griezmann should therefore not
a priori
appear in PES football game.
(Football Pro Evolution Soccer).
The affair also put Barça - in debt of more than a billion euros - in the embarrassment vis-à-vis Rakuten, because it is one of its main financers.
Hiroshi Mikitani, the boss of the Japanese e-commerce giant, let it be known on Twitter that he would "
officially protest to the club
", without specifying yet how.
But for four years, Rakuten has paid 55 million euros every year to appear on the blaugrana shirt of FC Barcelona.
What will the Catalan club do?
In any case, it has imperatives in terms of image in the world and vis-à-vis Asia, a real economic war machine for European clubs.
It’s not nice, I’m not validating.
#DembeleGriezmann 🖕🏻 pic.twitter.com/nV9tWT8qUU
- Ｔｉｔｏｕａｎ 💙🇫🇮🤍 (@antoine_vasquez) July 3, 2021
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