Photo of blacked-up Griezmann sparks controversy

Madrid: A photo posted by Atletico Madrid and France forward Antoine Griezmann (pic) on his Twitter account showing him blacked up and mimicking a Harlem Globetrotter basketball player from the 1980s caused controversy on social media.

Griezmann is wearing a basketball jersey and a wig with his face, legs and arms blacked up alongside the caption “80’s party”.

Although the photograph posted on Sunday provoked little comment in Spain where Griezmann has spent the entirety of his professional career, many Twitter users questioned the player’s choice of fancy dress, with some saying it was racist.

“Calm down friends, I am a fan of the Harlem Globetrotters and this beautiful era ... it’s a tribute,” replied Griezmann in a later post. He did not delete the original photo.

Some of the strongest reaction came from abroad. British left-wing lawmaker David Lammy tweeted: “There are so, so many different options for an 80’s party ... that don’t involve blackface. I can’t believe we’re out here in 2017 saying don’t dress up in blackface.”

Griezmann was top scorer for France at Euro 2016 and his performances on the pitch have seen him become one of Europe’s most marketable footballers, working with big brands such as Puma and EA Sports.

Earlier on Sunday, Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo reported Barcelona are ready to beat Manchester United to his signing next summer by meeting the €100mil (RM481mil) buyout clause in his Atletico contract. —AFP