Former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez has been fined for sexist comments he made on social media and given a warning over his future conduct.
Hernandez, 37, took to Instagram last Friday to launch an explosive rant against women, as he accused them of ‘eradicating masculinity’.
The man who was nicknamed Chicharito – meaning ‘little pea’ – by United fans said women are making society ‘hypersensitive’ and went on to suggest that they should focus on ‘multiplying, cleaning, maintaining the home’.
He has subsequently been fined and reprimanded by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) and his current side Chivas for his remarks.
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Mexico’s first female president, said: ‘Chicharito is a very good [footballer] but when it comes to his opinion on women… he still has a lot to learn.’
In a joint statement between the FMF and Mexico’s top men’s and women’s leagues, they said the country’s Gender and Diversity Commission had opened an investigation into Hernandez’s comments ‘to prevent and punish this behaviour’.
Javier Hernandez has been fined for sexist comments he made on social media
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Mexico’s first female president, condemned his remarks
Chivas said the comments were ‘contrary to the principles and values’ of the club and that they had taken ‘appropriate action’ against Hernandez, though they did not specify which action.
Hernandez spent five years at Old Trafford, winning two Premier League titles before leaving in 2015.
The Mexican is his country’s all-time record goalscorer, with 52 strikes in 109 appearances, and also played for Real Madrid as well as spending two years with both West Ham and Bayer Leverkusen.
He has now been subjected to a stream of criticism over the comments he made, which saw him state: ‘Women, you are failing. You are eradicating masculinity by making society hypersensitive.
‘Embrace your feminine energy: nurturing, caring, receiving, multiplying, cleaning, maintaining the home, which is the most precious place for us men.
‘Do not be afraid to be women, to allow yourselves to be led by a man who only wants to see you happy, because we do not know heaven without you. Holding yourselves responsible for your energy is also a way of loving you.’
He added: ‘Men, we are failing in the lack of commitment, putting our partners last, not keeping our word, and not prioritising habits to become admirable.
‘I understand that we are afraid to speak and truly express what we feel because they are trying to eradicate masculinity, since in certain cases of the past, feminine energy was suppressed, but many of us are here wanting to love you, take care of you, respect you, and provide for you.
He has subsequently been fined and reprimanded by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF)
The man who was nicknamed Chicharito – meaning ‘little pea’ – by Manchester United fans said women are making society ‘hypersensitive’
‘But you women must learn to honour masculinity,’ he concluded.
In addition to his comments being rebuked by the FMF and President Sheinbaum Pardo, numerous Instagram users reacted with fury in the comments section of his post last week.
One user wrote: ‘Come on, Javier, it’s sad to see you like this, please stop.’
Another added: ‘This video really makes you [look] crazy. Just to think that honouring the woman is reducing her to taking care of the house.’
Hernandez’s latest rant follows another controversial Instagram post from just a day earlier.
On Thursday, in another video, he said: ‘So, you want a man who provides, but for you, cleaning is patriarchal oppression? Interesting.’
The post was accompanied by the caption: ‘Interesting. (Home is not patriarchy, it’s your temple).’
In the past, Hernandez has spoken about his failings as a husband.
He caused outrage across Mexico and around the globe after his bizarre tirade last week
‘I wasn’t the best partner I needed to be, I wasn’t the greatest dad that I wanted to be,’ he told The Ringer.
‘I wasn’t a great friend. I wasn’t the great human being I wanted to be.’
He also said he has struggled with not being able to see his children regularly following his separation from his wife.
He claimed the break up caused him to start a ‘very deep spiritual and philosophical path in which I realised that I didn’t care what people thought about me.’
The Mexican added: ‘I was terrified to make the decision that the marriage was not where it should be and that we had to look for another way.’
