Liverpool goalkeeper involved in racism row
Final Up to date: Thu, Mar 01, 2012 16:09 hrs
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London: Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has been caught in a racism row after he featured in a industrial for a Spanish insurance firm. The industrial was pulled out by broadcasters due to its obvious racial and sexual stereotyping.
Liverpool has previously been criticised for their handling of the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra racism affair. They keep that they were unaware of the Spaniard’s involvement in the industrial.
The 26-second advertisement showed Reina in a jungle scene, greeted by a spear-carrying tribe and their leader. With Reina’s title translated as ‘Queen’ in Spanish, the tribe leader recommended a sexual connection with Reina by saying: “Me King, you Queen.”
Reina responded with raised eyebrows, just before sarcastically commenting: “I feel safe, la la la.”
The advertisement was severely condemned by Operation Black Vote, a non-political campaign group and was subsequently eliminated from Spanish television.
“I’m shocked on so many amounts. Firstly, how would the Spanish truly feel if the English stereotyped Spanish individuals as backward, stupid and animalistic homosexuals? Secondly, what does this say about Pepe Reina?
“The Liverpool goalkeeper has lived and worked in the United kingdom for almost a decade – does he feel it really is Ok to characterise black folks this way? Does he feel his black group-mates will laugh at his joke?” said Simon Woolley, a director of Operation Black Vote.
Groupama defending the commercial.
“Groupama Seguros does not consider that this advert consists of both offensive or any discriminatory content material,” the business stated in a statement.