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PSG and Barcelona denied interviews with Movistar due to a racist remark from Diego Simeone’s former assistant on live TV.
The two clubs denied interview requests from Spanish televison station Movistar+ after their Champions League quarter-final matchup at Parc des Princes on Wednesday. Burgos, a long-time Spanish football personality and analyst, made a remark about Yamal after the winger turned in a star showing in Paris.
Burgos made a comment deemed racist and classist on live TV: “If football doesn’t work out for [Yamal], he can end up [working] at a traffic light.”
The network later explained Barca’s absence from the show: “I understand many of you want to hear from Barca players and coaches, but UEFA, PSG and Barca have informed us they will not speak to us because they are angry with a comment made in the studio before the game,” Movistar reporter Ricardo Sierra explained. “Therefore, there won’t be any reaction, so I apologise from here, as we should go back in the studio.”
On Thursday, Movistar announced that Burgos had been fired with immediate effect, and released a statement articulating that they: “condemn any type of discrimination and will not allow these types of comments from any of the employees or collaborators linked to the platform.”
The two teams will return to their domestic leagues this weekend, before meeting next Tuesday for the second leg of the tie. The Blaugrana hold a 3-2 lead heading into the match in Catalonia.
