Chilean government offers protection to Gabriel Arias after threats on social media
The Chilean government offered protection to their national team goalkeeper, Gabriel Arias, on Friday, following the barrage of insults and threats on social media due to his poor performance in Chile's 3-0 defeat against Peru in the Copa America semi-finals.
Arias, an Argentine nationalized Chilean, was blamed for Peru's second goal after a mistake outside his penalty area, resulting in harsh insults and even threats to his family on his social media accounts, causing a major controversy among supporters and detractors of the goalkeeper.
"To the extent that Gabriel Arias or his family may require protection or need to file a complaint, the government wants to express that it is fully available for that," said Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick to the press.
The threats, which even included a picture of his five-year-old son, led the footballer to close his social media accounts, sparking a debate in the country about the extent to which criticism of a player's performance can go.
"The threats are truly repugnant, unacceptable, and condemnable from any standpoint," said Chadwick, who assured that those who hide behind anonymity to threaten "a professional, an athlete who wears the shirt of our country" are "bad people".
Chadwick contacted the president of the Chilean federation, Sebastián Moreno, to convey the offer to the goalkeeper, who has also received support from thousands of internet users and fellow footballers.
"Together until death, brother Gabriel Arias. They defeated us together and we will rise together," posted his teammate in La Roja, Arturo Vidal.
"I don't think it's right to go to such extremes as threatening someone over a specific play," said Paolo Guerrero, striker for the Peruvian national team.
The coach of the Chilean national team, Colombian Reinaldo Rueda, described the threats against Arias as cowardly.
Chile and Argentina will play for third place in the Copa America on Saturday, and unless there are any surprises, Arias would be the starting goalkeeper.
Source: AFP