Atlético Madrid forward and French international Antoine Griezmann has sparked backlash after tweeting a photo of himself in blackface dressed as an NBA All-Star.
Almost immediately after the tweet went live, Griezmann was flooded with angry messages from fans telling him to delete the tweet and calling him "racist."
@spiderwaIker @Romanitou @AntoGriezmann this is wonderful, I happen to prefer the Joanne the Scammer version.
@jobb3000 @skenguin @Klydevil @No_Jokes_Aside_ @AlphaMbappe @Romanitou @spiderwaIker @AntoGriezmann
@AntoGriezmann
@spiderwaIker @Romanitou @AntoGriezmann Racist
Griezmann partying his ass off wondering why his lawyer and PR team director keep calling him at this time of night… https://t.co/G71iyVVdDp
If you're asking how is that racist re: Antoine Griezmann then you're part of the problem. Casual racism is still p… https://t.co/pK2sJDZgwO
Griezmann, who looks set to join superstar-filled Barcelona next year, replied to the outcry an hour later, telling his followers to "calm down."
"I am a fan of the Harlem Globetrotters and of that beautiful era, it is a tribute," he said.
Griezmann has since deleted both tweets and apologised for his "clumsy" actions.
"I recognise it is clumsy on my part. If I have hurt anyone, I apologise."
Je reconnais que c’est maladroit de ma part. Si j’ai blessé certaines personnes je m’en excuse.