Jorge Valdano, former player and world champion with the Argentina National Team, shared his negative opinion about the controversial incident involving Deportivo Riestra and streamer Spreen during the match against Vélez in the Liga Profesional. Valdano described the event as a "serious lack of respect" towards football and expressed his outrage in a column in the newspaper El País. For him, such events go against the traditional values of football and represent a loss of respect for the sport itself.
The former footballer not only criticized the act itself, but also pointed out that these events are only possible due to the interest of millions of people who celebrate or justify such behaviors. Valdano mentioned that events like these generate interest from "at least 250 million idiots," emphasizing how virality and entertainment can distort the true meaning of the sport.
Despite the apologies issued by Deportivo Riestra and Spreen, Valdano highlighted the mercantile nature of the incident, mentioning that the scene was orchestrated to create media impact. According to his analysis, the streamer's entry onto the field took place taking advantage of a stoppage due to a foul committed by a teammate to facilitate his fleeting participation in the match.
The former Argentine player also pointed to Deportivo Riestra's attempt at reparations and the subsequent apology from Spreen, who, through his social media, described the incident as "an anecdote of life." Despite this, Valdano emphasized the importance of maintaining the traditional values of football and not prioritizing spectacle over the integrity of the sport.
