The match of the 22e day of Primera División (Argentine first division), contested Monday between Deportivo Riestra and the leader Vélez Sarsfield (1-1), caused a lot of talk in the country. At issue: the furtive appearance of Spreen, a popular Argentinian streamer who has never played Football, within the Deportivo Riestra team.
Established at the forefront of the attack, the 24-year-old young man with nearly 20 million subscribers was replaced after less than a minute of play, without having touched a single ball. This huge publicity stunt is the result of a collaboration between the streamer and Speed, a brand of energy drinks, and incidentally one of the sponsors of Deportivo.
Officially registered last February, Spreen was established with the Deportivo pros on November 11, after only a short week of training. In the end, the streamer certainly got what he came for: since his appearance on the pitch at the Guillermo Laza stadium, the young Argentinian has created a buzz and is at the center of all discussions, good or bad.
If some seem to have fun with the situation, like several of Spreen’s short-lived teammates, others were less receptive to the communication stunt. “A total lack of respect for football and footballers,” former Argentine player Juan Sebastián Verón, now president of Estudiantes La Plata, soberly wrote on Instagram.
Braian Romero, attacker of Vélez and opponent of Spreen on Monday, let loose in the Argentinian media “Olé”. “Today, television has shown children a shortcut that is not a shortcut. It’s a bad message that we are giving to society and to children, to those who are doing their best and who are not succeeding,” regretted the player, author of Vélez Sarsfield’s goal on Monday.
While an investigation was opened by the Argentine Federation, the main party concerned was not too affected by the criticism. After the match, Spreen commented on the video of his “exploits” with a sober “undefeated” on his X account.
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