Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid star, apologizes for blackface tweet
Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann gestures after missing a goal opportunity during the Spanish league football match Club Atletico de Madrid against Alaves at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid. Dec. 16, 2017. Credit: AFP/Getty Images / GABRIEL BOUYS
MADRID — Soccer star Antoine Griezmann has apologized after posting an image of himself on social media in blackface as part of an NBA party costume on Sunday.
Griezmann, who is white, was also wearing a wig and holding a basketball in the photo which has “NBA 69 ALLSTARS” on the jersey.
The photo on his official Twitter account was accompanied with the message “80’s Party” followed by basketball and laughing emojis.
One response called the photo a “bad idea” with others urging the Frenchman to delete the tweet.
Griezmann at first reacted to the criticism by tweeting: “Calm down friends, I’m a fan of the Harlem Globetrotters and of this great era... It’s a tribute.”
He later tweeted an apology.
“I recognize that’s it’s insensitive on my part. If I offended some people I’m sorry,” he wrote.
The 26-year-old Griezmann plays for Spanish team Atletico Madrid but has been linked to a move to Barcelona.
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