Explaining the call-up of Kiki Ramos, who was born in Haiti and was called up to the Argentina national team, Diego Placente was emphatic: “He’s on the national team because he plays well, not because he’s Black”.
He recalled Ramos’s time in Vélez’s 2009 age group: Ramos was a substitute for Aguirre and Policella, but whenever he came on, he played well. When both moved up to the first team, Kiki started playing and scoring goals.
He also maintained that, in his view, “Argentines are not racist” and explained that nicknames can be affectionate in the country: Kiki is called “Negro”, just as a blond person might be called “Polaco” or “Ruso”. He acknowledged that outside Argentina, there could be a racist problem. On the national team, he said, they ask that he be called Kiki and judged beyond the video or the club, where players feel more comfortable 🇦🇷🇭🇹