March 19 – Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez has apologised for saying that the Copa Libertadores without Brazilian teams would be like “Tarzan without Cheetah” after a club official had suggested teams could withdraw due to racism.
Palmeiras president Leila Pereira said Brazilian clubs should consider pulling out of South American competitions due to the lack of strong sanctions against racism following an incident involving one of the team’s Under-20 players.
Cheetah was a chimpanzee character in the Tarzan films and television series.
Asked by journalists if he could imagine a Libertadores without Brazilian teams following Monday’s draw for South America’s showpiece competition, Dominguez replied: “That would be like Tarzan without Cheetah, impossible.”
Later, he posted on X: “I want to apologise. The expression I used is a popular phrase and I never intended to belittle or disqualify anyone.”
“The Conmebol Libertadores is unthinkable without the participation of clubs from the 10 member countries… I reaffirm my commitment to continue working for a fairer, more united and discrimination-free football.”
Dominguez’s comments sparked a backlash, however, with Brazilian authorities strongly condemning them and criticising Conmebol for its failure to implement effective anti-racism measures.
“The Brazilian government repudiates in the strongest terms the statements made by the president of Conmebol Alejandro Dominguez,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement read.
“The statements take place in a context in which Conmebol authorities have repeatedly failed to adopt effective measures to prevent and avoid the repetition of acts of racism in matches organised by them.”
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