A television cameraman said Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez “slapped me” after Colombia's 2-1 home win in a World Cup qualifier.
Jhonny Jackson told Colombian reporters that he approached Martinez after the final whistle in Barranquilla on Tuesday, as the goalkeeper was greeting another player. The footage he captured shows the World Cup winner, known to Argentines as Dibu, hitting the camera, which promptly falls to the ground.
“He suddenly slapped me,” Jackson told RCN Deportes on Wednesday. “I felt angry, very angry. I was working, just like him. He was playing and I was filming with my camera.”
He also sent a message to Martinez: “Dibu, my brother, how are you? I'm Jhonny Jackson, the cameraman you attacked in the match against Colombia. I wanted to tell you that everything is okay, my brother. Everyone has lost a match in their life. It's clear that this defeat meant a lot to you. But look forward, Dibu.”
Jackson works for a company that provides material to the channels Caracol Televisión and RCN Deportes.
Footballers have been banned from playing in similar situations, and that is what the Colombian Association of Sports Journalists (ACORD) wants FIFA to do with Martinez. Its president, Faiver Hoyos Hernandez, said in a statement that Martinez attacked freedom of expression.
“As the journalistic authority of this country, ACORD demands that FIFA impose an exemplary sanction against Mr. Emiliano Dibú Martínez, who is not a role model for the new generations,” the statement said.
Neither Martínez nor CONMEBOL, the body that governs South American football, have commented on the matter.
Argentina leads South America's World Cup qualifying standings with 18 points after eight games, two points ahead of Colombia. All teams have two more qualifying matches next month. The top six teams will get automatic places for the 2026 World Cup.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
