CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez apologized Tuesday after making a controversial remark comparing the Copa Libertadores without Brazilian teams to "Tarzan without Cheetah." His comment came after a Brazilian club official suggested that teams might withdraw from South American competitions due to the lack of strong measures against racism.
The comment was sparked by Palmeiras President Leila Pereira, who proposed that Brazilian clubs consider pulling out of South American tournaments because of insufficient sanctions following a racist incident involving one of the team’s under-20 players.
In the context of the comment, "Cheetah" referred to the chimpanzee character from the Tarzan films and TV series.
Dominguez was asked by journalists about the possibility of a Libertadores without Brazilian teams following Monday's draw for South America's premier club competition at CONMEBOL's headquarters in Paraguay.
"That would be like Tarzan without Cheetah, impossible," Dominguez replied with a laugh.
Shortly before that, the Paraguayan had said in a speech that racism was a scourge affecting football and that his organization would continue to apply sanctions so that "every racist expression has a real consequence."
"I want to apologize. The expression I used is a popular phrase, and I never intended to belittle or disqualify anyone," Dominguez said Tuesday on his X account.
"The CONMEBOL Libertadores is unthinkable without the participation of clubs from the 10 member countries... I reaffirm my commitment to continue working for a fairer, more united, and discrimination-free football."
Dominguez’s comments sparked backlash, and the Brazilian government strongly condemned them, criticizing CONMEBOL for its failure to implement effective anti-racism measures.
"The Brazilian government repudiates in the strongest terms the statements made by the president of CONMEBOL, Alejandro Dominguez," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement read.
"The statements take place in a context in which CONMEBOL authorities have repeatedly failed to adopt effective measures to prevent and avoid the repetition of acts of racism in matches organized by them."
Earlier this month, CONMEBOL fined Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno $50,000 after Palmeiras player Luighi was racially abused during a Copa Libertadores under-20 match.
Pereira criticized CONMEBOL’s sanction as "absurd" and suggested that if the governing body did not respect Brazilian football, clubs should consider moving to the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).
