PSG star Manuel Ugarte recently went viral during Argentina’s heated clash against Uruguay in the World Cup qualifiers. In a match that typically embodied a South American soccer match, the emotions of the players ran high.
However, Ugarte has recently come and apologized to Argentine midfielder Rodri De Paul for his obscene gesture during the match that went viral.
Uruguay’s heated clash with Argentina was memorable for a number of reasons. For starters, it was the first time that Argentina had lost a match or even conceded a goal since winning the World Cup 2022. Moreover, it was also the first time in 60 years that Uruguay defeated Argentina and Brazil in the same year. However, the game also became memorable for an incident involving Manuel Ugarte and Rodri De Paul.
Ugarte called Rodrigo De Paul a meatmuncher 😭pic.twitter.com/pYFuaIFvxE
— Sami 🇹🇷 (@Wamination11) November 17, 2023
During a livid moment, Ugarte made an obscene gesture towards De Paul and called him a “me*tmuncher.” The incident went viral across social media platforms, with many criticizing Ugarte’s behavior.
However, the Uruguayan star has now reportedly apologized to De Paul. He said, “When they told me that a gesture of mine went viral, I didn’t understand anything. Then I saw it and I wanted to die.“
Manuel Ugarte on his gesture to De Paul: “When they told me that a gesture of mine went viral, I didn’t understand anything. Then I saw it and I wanted to die. It is not good. De Paul took importance away and as he said it stays on the pitch
“At that time I didn’t realize it, I… pic.twitter.com/1LOeIhhunj
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) November 21, 2023
Ugarte went on to state that he got caught up in emotions during the match and didn’t realize what he had done. However, he did apologize to Rodri De Paul, who later stated that it was better to forget about such things after the match. Moreover, the 2022 World Cup winner also appears to have moved on from the incident.
Lionel Messi demanded respect from Manuel Ugarte after his obscene gesture
It appears as if Manuel Ugarte’s obscene gesture towards Rodri De Paul didn’t go down particularly well with Lionel Messi. For a player who rarely loses his cool, Messi could be spotted losing his temper against Uruguay.
The Argentine skipper was involved in a violent altercation with Uruguayan defender Mathias Olivera. Messi was even spotted grabbing Olivera’s neck during the match.
Moreover, the Inter Miami star also spoke about Manuel Ugarte’s viral gesture in an interview after the match. He said, “I prefer not to say what I think about some gestures.” Messi further rebuked Ugarte’s lack of respect during the match. While Messi did admit that the match was rather intense, however, he did advise the young players to learn respect from the senior players.