Coach Ricardo Ferretti under fire in Mexico for homophobic, sexist comments at press conference

Longtime veteran Liga MX coach Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti has come under fire for sexist and homophobic comments he used during a news conference following his team’s final match of the regular season at Tigres.

Known for kicking off his news conferences by giving female reporters the first questions, he opened this postgame presser by asking the media whether there were any “old ladies” (viejas in Spanish) among the journalists on hand. He then followed up that pejorative comment by using a homophobic slur to ask whether there would be any gay reporters asking questions. With no reaction from the media, he said, “Then we have all machos here.” That was met by audible chuckles from some of those in the press room.

The league and his club have not made public any disciplinary measures at the time of publication.

The 67-year-old’s comments fly in the face of public efforts from the league and Mexican football federation to eradicate a homophobic chant used at Mexican soccer matches. They have resulted in a multitude of fines from world-governing body FIFA and the banning of supporters at Mexican national team home matches. The latest of those sanctions was handed down on Nov. 1: a fan ban for the next two World Cup qualifiers and a $110,000 fine. The specter of a potential points deduction or tournament expulsion by FIFA still hangs over Mexico as long as the issue persists.

Ferretti, who has long had a reputation for fiery outbursts and outspoken interviews, is in his first season as manager at FC Juarez. He joined the club after a near-11-year spell at Tigres UANL, the Monterrey-based club where he enjoyed the most success as a coach in Mexico’s top division. Tigres beat FC Juarez 3-0 on Saturday, leaving the Bravos of Ciudad Juarez in 16th place in the final standings. With a 4W-9L-4D record, they finished four points out of a playoff spot.

Given the backdrop of the FIFA issues and the high-profile nature of this incident, some in the media anticipate a severe punishment to be handed down against Ferretti. Here’s how some have reacted to hearing the comments by Ferretti.

Note: Posts embedded below contain video that includes offensive language:

MORE: FIFA World Cup: Which teams have qualified to Qatar 2022? Full list of all 32 nations

Source: Read Full Article