Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez was penalized by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and they are now looking into the case after he put out a few TikTok videos that the police consider as the perpetuation of sexist stereotypes and the violation of the gender equality principles.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the FMF, together with Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil, made it clear that they do not agree with the 37-year-old striker’s statements and that they see them as a type of “media violence” that is inconsistent with the sport’s gender and diversity policies.
Thus the issue has been settled: the striker has been given a financial penalty and a formal warning and it has been made clear that if there is a repeated offense, the punishment can be more severe.
The Chivas Guadalajara forward was going so far as to suggest that women should be “let themselves be guided by a man” and besides that, in his opinion, the women were “eradicating masculinity” and that besides that, the feminists’ points of view were wrong and he, therefore, society was “hypersensitive.”
Such remarks were hotly debated, and the public figures and fans massively reacted, and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum was quoted as saying, “He’s a very good footballer, but in terms of his opinion about women, he still has a lot to learn.”
Chivas also reacted strongly to Hernandez’s words and spoke of the implication of internal disciplinary measures.
FMF’s Gender and Diversity Commission has pledged to continue working for equality and is ready to be even more forceful if it becomes necessary.
