Konami has actually dropped its agreement with French footballer Antoine Griezmann over a video clip that showed up to simulated Japanese resort team.
Video released on Friday revealed Griezmann chuckling as his colleague Ousmane Dembélé discussed the look as well as language of Japanese employees in 2019.
The video clip, recorded by Dembélé, was published by a semi-anonymous YouTube account as well as has actually caused a solid reaction versus the footballers.
Social network messages consisting of the video clip as well as the hashtag #StopAsianHate have actually been retweeted countless times.
On Wednesday, the Japanese computer game business Konami stated they had actually made a decision to damage its ambassador agreement with Griezmann over the video clip.
” We had actually revealed that Antoine Griezmann would certainly be our Yu-Gi-Oh! ambassador, however because of current occasions, we have actually made a decision to terminate the agreement,” the business stated.
” Discrimination in any type of type is undesirable,” they included a declaration.
Konami, manufacturers of the preferred football computer game, Pro development football (PES), have actually additionally asked the gamers’ club Barcelona “to clarify the information of this situation as well as future activities.”
The Japanese online retail large Rakuten, that are the tee shirt enroller of Barcelona, has actually additionally opposed versus the video clip.
” As a companion of the club as well as host of the excursion, I quite be sorry for the prejudiced statements of Barcelona gamers,” tweeted Hiroshi Mikitani, Chief Executive Officer as well as owner of Rakuten.
” Rakuten has actually been an enroller of the club commending the Barca viewpoint. Such statements are not appropriate under any type of situations. I will formally object to the club as well as request for a description.”
In the video clip, Dembélé can be seen calling out Griezmann while professionals service a tv in both’s resort space throughout a Barcelona excursion to Japan.
Dembélé can be listened to joking regarding the team’s appearances as well as language as Griezmann views on, entertained however quiet. Both gamers have actually considering that apologised for the video footage.
” I have actually constantly protested any type of type of discrimination (…) I strongly shoot down the allegations made versus me as well as I am sorry if I annoyed my Japanese close friends,” Griezmann stated on Sunday.
On The Other Hand, Dembélé has actually apologised, claiming that it was a “exclusive video clip” which he was “not targeting any type of area”.
” I recognize that I might have injured individuals because photo as well as for that, I truly apologise,” he included.
Griezmann has actually formerly attracted objection in 2017 after uploading a picture of himself in “blackface”, while impersonated a basketball gamer.
In December, the footballer additionally created headings by breaking short his collaboration with the Chinese business Huawei, mentioning “solid uncertainties” that the mobile titan was associated with the security of the Uyghur Muslim minority. Huawei has actually refuted the accusations.
