Chelsea FC player sent home from China tour over social media post

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, JULY 25: English football club Chelsea FC has sent home its player, Robert Kenedy Nunes Nascimento from the club’s tour of China after the player’s messages on social media received backlash from Chinese people and netizens.

The 21-year-old Brazilian footballer who plies his trade at Chelsea FC was sent back by the club as his posts on social media has caused great offence and hurt the feelings of the people of China, reports The Guardian.

The player posted two videos on his Instagram account, one with a caption ‘Porra China’ in Portuguese which translates to “Fuck you China” and another of a security guard asleep which was tagged: “Wake up China, you idiot.” The posts have now been deleted from social media.

Though the posts have been deleted, the damage was already done as his post received hoards of backlash, both online and offline with accusation of xenophobia and racism, and it has forced both the player and the club to issue an apology.

“Hello my friends, just wanna say sorry if someone was sad because I used the expression “porra”, was no racism, just an expression … big hug,” Kenedy was quoted as saying in the report.

The English premier league champions claimed that the player has been strongly reprimanded and disciplined for his posts. The club has sent Kenedy home from its tour of China.

“Kenedy’s actions were a mistake that he will learn greatly from and his behaviour does not represent the entire team and does not align with the club’s high expectations and strict requirements of its young players”, the club said in the apology.