Nueva Chicago player Arnaldo ‘Pitu’ González makes an antisemitic gesture after being ejected from an Argentine league match against rivals Atlanta. Photo: Screenshot.
The public prosecutor in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires on Monday leveled criminal charges against a professional soccer player who made antisemitic gestures after being shown a red card during a match last Sunday.
30-year-old Arnaldo “Pitu” González — a midfield player with second-tier side Nueva Chicago — made the gestures to the fans of rival team Atlanta, which has historic connections to the Jewish community, after being ejected from the pitch following a violent altercation with the referee.
As he exited the field, González made two offensive gestures in the direction of the Atlanta fans — one simulating circumcision, and the other simulating a kippah being placed on the head.
Amid the outcry that followed, González apologized for his actions, describing himself in a tweet as “very ashamed.” His club also formally apologized to the Jewish community.
Jorge Knoblovits — president of the Argentine Jewish representative organization DAIA — slammed González on Monday.
Calling the player’s antics “an obscene spectacle of cruel antisemitism,” Knoblovits said that González “must face legal sanctions and [his example] used for education and prevention.”
The head of Argentina’s anti-discrimination agency, who is a supporter of Nueva Chicago, pledged to take action against González.
“As a fan of Nueva Chicago, I am ashamed of the antisemitic gestures of Arnaldo González, and we will examine corresponding measures,” Victoria Donda — head of the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (Inadi) — said on Twitter.
Watch Arnaldo “Pitu” González make obscene antisemitic gestures: