José Luis Chilavert’s fall amid racism, homophobia and a failed political bid | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, on the eve of France’s last 16 tie with Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday, José Luis Chilavert posted a racist message on X aimed at Les Bleus, adding to a string of post-career controversies.

He was answering Christophe Dugarry’s claim that Paraguay would be heavily beaten, writing that while Paraguay met the French at the 1998 World Cup, this time they would face an African selection.

Chilavert won 74 caps for Paraguay between 1989 and 2003 and, unusually for a goalkeeper, took penalties and free kicks. The former Strasbourg and Vélez player is 60.

In February, after Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racist abuse towards Vinicius in a Champions League match, he backed the Argentine, disparaged Vinicius and opposed any sanction, while making homophobic remarks. He later attacked Kylian Mbappé’s private life with a transphobic claim, then, after criticism from Thibaut Courtois, turned his ire on Muslims with inflammatory generalisations about Belgium.

Publicly aligned with far-right figures Jair Bolsonaro, José Antonio Kast and Javier Milei, he then ran for Paraguay’s presidency in 2023 with the Partido de la Juventud on a nationalist, conservative platform, taking 0.8% in the first round.

His confrontational streak long predates retirement. In 2018 he was convicted of defamation, receiving a one year suspended sentence after attacks on CONMEBOL chief Alejandro Domínguez. In 2001 he spat at Roberto Carlos, later saying the Brazilian had racially insulted him.

Source: L'Équipe