Mexican soccer overlords are trying to play down the seriousness of fans’ homophobic chants at national team games in the wake of yet another fine from the sport’s governing body, FIFA.

A $US30,000 fine was imposed after Mexico’s World Cup qualifying game with Honduras last month.

Despite pleas from players for the practice to stop, Mexican fans continue to chant the word“puto”every time an opposing goalkeeper tries to kick the ball. 

LGBTQ rights groups say the slur is commonly used in Mexico to denigrate homosexuals and should be outlawed from stadiums.

Getting fans to stop the chant is a difficult task, however.  While pockets of fans can be ejected from stadiums for misbehavior, it is impossible to remove thousands of people.

After a few half-hearted attempts to get fans to drop the chant, the Mexican Soccer Federation is now arguing that it has no homophobic connection when used inside a soccer stadium and is contesting the recent fine. The word actually means “coward,” they have said.

The lame excuse is likely to fall on deaf ears at FIFA.  If the chant persists, Mexico’s national team may be forced to play in empty stadiums or forgo home field advantage in future games. 

Neither have the appeals by Mexican players had any effect on fans. Opposition goalkeepers were subjected to the same abuse during recent friendly games in the United States and there appears to be a gung-ho attitude among fans that it is their right to chant whatever they wish regardless of how much this offends others. FIFA will be looking carefully at fans’ behavior during   the final group stage of 2018 World Cup qualifying, which gets underway November 11, when the United States host Mexico in a crucial tie in Colombus, Ohio (see story on page 10).  Whether a smaller number of Mexican fans in Columbus will dare to chant the polemic slur at the U.S. keeper remains to be seen, however.{/access}