Mexico World Cup Soccer Fans Try Out New Chant Derek Gatopoulos - Associated Press
go to original June 23, 2018

Mexican fans chanting 'Puto' in Russia! The sights and sounds of the World Cup! (SportsWizz)

Update: Mexico Dominates Match 2, Beats South Korea 2-1, While Fans Refrained from Using the 'Eh, Puto!' Chant (Mexico News Daily)

Mexico fans are trying out a new chant so the country’s federation avoids another FIFA fine.

Only time will tell, though, whether some of them won’t go back to the old one that got them into trouble in the first place.

Standing next to a golden-domed cathedral, Mexican fans visited the sites of Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia on Friday and practiced a new chant — “eeeeeeee-ROO-si-ya,” the last part meaning Russia in Spanish — that they hope will keep the tournament hosts and organizers happy.

The modified version was introduced after national federation was fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,000) for a chant by supporters considered to be homophobic during the opening game against Germany.

Mexico fans use the chant to intimidate opposing goalkeepers. FIFA considers it a slur, but many supporters argue it has no discriminatory intent.

Carlos Quezada, from San Luis Potosi in central Mexico, joined revelers at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, and said he wasn’t certain fans would comply with the ban.

“It’s the way we are. When you tell Mexicans not to do something, they keep on doing it,” he said, but added that the Mexicans were keen to repay the kindness of their Russian hosts.

“People have been really, really nice to us, they have welcomed us everywhere. The Russians have been chanting for us — chanting ‘Mexico, Mexico’ — and it makes us feel like this is a second home.”

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