Two-time FIFA player of the year and former Brazil and Barcelona star Ronaldinho had boosted the soccer world of Mexico when he signed himself a deal with a small local club Queretaro.
But the great atmosphere did not last that long as even before he had played his first game, stood out like a sore thumb and was faced with racism issues. He was in the same situation as would any black players in Europe.
It was long ago and Mexico has a great history of racism but it has bulged more when Ronaldinho arrived.
Carlos Trevino, a former official of the Queretaro state government, has launched an attack on Ronaldinho on his Facebook page before the Brazilian had played a single game. He had only just arrived in town, causing minor pandemonium, when Trevino ranted in social media.
Trevino wrote "Seriously, I try to be tolerant, but I hate football and the idiotic phenomenon it produces. I hate it even more because people flood the streets, meaning it took me forever to get home. And all this to see an ape; a Brazilian, but an ape just the same."
Because of the incident, the Queretaro has issued an official statement on the matter,. It says "After the regrettable publication on social media by a person of public status, Mr Carlos Manuel Trevino Nunez, insulting our player Ronaldo de Assis Moreira 'Ronaldinho,' we exhort the authorities to look into the matter."
But Decio de Maria, president of Liga MX believes that racism is not the problem, he thinks that it is just misunderstood.
He said "Mexico is not a racist country. This is a country where we use nicknames. On the streets, they single people out. There are profanities that, when they are said, do not mean what they literally mean. Calling someone by a nickname is not discrimination. Those who cross the line should be taken to court."
While Daniel Luduena, an Argentine midfielder playing for Pumas says "There's not racism on all the fields in Mexico. The problem is, perhaps, at three or four stadiums. But there is no reason to wait for an extreme case before acting to stop it."
