Javier Hernández, aka Chicharito, has put himself in a heap of trouble after making several controversial statements on social media.
The Mexican striker had recently signed for his boyhood Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas), on January 24, 2024, after returning to the club where he began his professional career in 2006.
He was unveiled as their new signing shortly afterward, officially presented on January 27, 2024, at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Chicharito came to Chivas as a free agent after he left LA Galaxy at the end of his contract.
Since he signed for the club, he managed to score only 2 goals and get 1 assist in 22 games.
But it’s not the poor form on the pitch that’s getting him all the backlash, but rather his sexist comments that have landed him in major trouble now.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid man has recently been receiving backlash from all of Mexico’s governing bodies and state-run sporting authorities.
This is after he made some controversial comments, which were posted on his Instagram and TikTok.
In two of his Instagram videos, the Mexican forward was seen making certain comments that were deemed sexist and derogatory towards women.
In a video uploaded on the 17th of July, the Mexican was inside his car and stated the following:
So, as a woman, you’re looking for a male provider, yet consider house cleaning to be patriarchal oppression? Interesting!
In another video uploaded on the 19th of July, which was part of this ongoing series, where he was delivering one-liners, he went on to say,
Women are failing; they are eradicating masculinity, making society hypersensitive. Embody your feminine energy: caring, nurturing, receiving, multiplying, cleaning, and sustaining the home, which is the most precious place for men. Don’t be afraid to be a woman, to allow yourself to be led by a man who wants nothing more than to see you happy. We as men are failing in our lack of commitment. They are trying to eradicate masculinity because in certain cases in the past the feminine energy was suppressed, but many of us are here wanting to love them, care for them, respect them, and provide for them. But you women have to learn how to receive and honor masculinity. Let us accept the truth and change enough to create the humanity we have always sought.
These comments have now landed the former LA Galaxy and West Ham striker in a lot of chaos and trouble.
On July 23rd, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF, Liga BBVA MX, and Liga BBVA MX) released a statement wherein they explicitly mentioned that Chicharito was promoting sexist stereotypes in these videos and that they considered this as media violence and were against gender equality in sports.
As a result, the Gender and Diversity Commission, which was formed by the Mexican Football Federation in 2023 to prevent and enforce national and international regulations to safeguard gender equality, imposed a financial penalty and an official warning on the forward.
The federation also initiated a further investigation process of its own, aimed at preventing and sanctioning this type of conduct in the future.
On the same day, Chicharito’s official sponsor partner, Puma, also released a statement wherein they distanced themselves from the striker.
Puma mentioned that they believe in a sport that promotes “all” and recognize the importance of respect for women, gender equity, and the movements that fight for equal rights in our society.
They stated that these opinions and comments made by Hernandez belong to a “personal sphere and are independent of Puma’s values and position as a brand.”
Additionally, his club, Chivas, also distanced itself from the Mexican and stated that the comments made by Chicharito represent an individual position, which is not aligned with the principles and values of their institution.
The club explicitly stated that it rejects any behavior, stance, or expression that reinforces these stereotypes and mentioned that it had taken the required actions within the scope of its internal regulations.
This likely means a further fine or ban for the striker after the Mexican Football Federation also imposed a fine on him.
But the final nail in the coffin came for the forward when this incident received national and political attention.
Mexico’s head of state, AKA president, Claudia Sheinbaum, who herself is the first female Mexican president in 200 years, also criticized the player and stated the following in a news conference:
Chicharito is a very good soccer player, but when it comes to his opinion on women … he still has a lot to learn.
She also went on to further defend women across all strata and said that in today’s world, women can do anything that they want to.
She stated,
I’m a mother, I’m a grandmother, and I’m also a housewife. But I’m also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Women can be whatever we want.
In the light of all this drama and the constant media and authoritative pressure on Chicharito from all angles, the 37-year-old also released a personal statement on his social media handles.
He sincerely apologized for any confusion or hurt caused by his recent words, saying it was never his intention to offend, limit, or divide.
The striker also thanked those who supported him and challenged him to be a better person, and also stated that, as a father himself, he needed to act with respect, humility, and responsibility.
Finally, he said he wants to become a better person and promised to speak more carefully and respectfully in the future.
Chicharito has had a tough several years recently.
In 2019, he was banned from the national team (Mexico) after he, alongside other players, organized an unauthorized party in New York after a game against the United States.
Then, in 2021, his wife filed for divorce, accusing Hernández of insufficient parenting involvement (calling him an “inactive father”) and violating personal boundaries by entering her bed uninvited post-separation.
Hernandez married his wife, Sarah Kohan, an Australian model and travel blogger of Romanian descent, in January 2019 in a secret ceremony in California.
The pair has two kids: Noah and Nala, who both live with their mother, Sarah, in Australia after the separation.
Sarah requested child support of $100,000 per month from Hernandez, citing the striker’s estimated annual income of over $8 million to the court.
Hernández later acknowledged in interviews that he “wasn’t the best partner,” father, or friend prior to separation and publicly commended Kohan as “a spectacular mother” to their children.
Right, then.
For a man who has won the Premier League and played for numerous top clubs across the world, this is a new low in his life.
Some would argue he has been going through a tough time for years, but his recent controversial statements have given him a lot of repercussions to deal with, including from the official governing bodies of Mexico.
Only time will tell if the striker will ever play for the Mexican side, Chivas, again, or if he will have to look for a new club yet again.
