Mexican Soccer Team Appeals Fines By FIFA From Controversial Gay Chant

The Mexican National Team doesn’t feel like they should have to pay a dime for their fans’ actions.

According to ESPN, the Mexican Football Federation is appealing the latest fines levied down by FIFA. FIFA recently fined Mexico 30,000 Swiss francs for the latest derogatory “Puto” chants. According to that same ESPN report, that was the fifth time in 11 months that Mexico has been fined for said chants.

In case you were wondering, 30,000 Swiss francs calculates to just under 600,000 pesos or about US $31,000.

Many fans of the Mexican National Team chant “Puto” during goal kicks to try and get into the opposing team’s head, particularly the goalkeeper. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, this issue really hit the international spotlight when Mexico and Brazil faced off. Both Mexican and Brazilian fans were heard chanting “Puto” during a 0-0 group stage draw.

This summer, Mexico’s soccer team has been involved in several matches, both for the Copa America and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying. Back in June, CONCACAF warned Mexican soccer fans about chanting “Puto” at the opposing team during games, but that didn’t appear to have the lingering effect they had hoped for.

The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, which will be played in Russia, will feature the Mexican National Team because of their Gold Cup championship. Said tournament is one of the biggest competitions in the world, and all eyes will be on Mexican fans once again.

Many outsiders and fans believe the Mexican squad is being unfairly punished for the actions of the fans while others think FIFA is taking the right course of action. For soccer fans who watch Liga MX games, this chant is hardly new to domestic Mexico soccer, but for outsiders, this may come as surprising behavior by fans.

Star forward Javier Hernandez, as well as other players, have condemned the chant in the past. Mexico’s next scheduled game is an international friendly against New Zealand on Oct. 8.