London Olympics: Michel Morganella gets expelled for racist tweet
Switzerland’s Michel Morganella runs on the pitch during the 2012 Olympic mens football match between Gabon and Switzerland at St James’ Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north-east England on July 26, 2012. Swiss soccer player Michel Morganella could be expelled from the Olympics for allegedly sending a racist message on Twitter. Swiss media report that Michel Morganella posted an offensive message about South Korean people after the Swiss team lost 2-1 to South Korea on July 29, 2012.
Switzerland's Olympic soccer team has expelled defender Michel Morganella from the games after he made racist comments on his twitter account, BBC News reported.
Hours after Switzerland lost a match to South Korea, Morganella tweeted: “I punch you, South Koreans, go burn…," Reuters reported. Morganella also described the South Korean players as a "bunch of mongoloids," the Associated Press reported. He has since deleted his account.
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Morganella "discriminated against, insulted and violated the dignity of the South Korea football team as well as the South Korean people," Swiss Olympic team chief Gian Gilli said at a news conference, according to the AP. Switzerland is scheduled to play its final group soccer game, this time without Morganella, against Mexico on Wednesday.
Morganella is the second athlete to be kicked off of a London Olympics team for racist tweeting. Paraskevi Papachristou, Greece’s Olympic triple jumper, was removed from the 2012 London Olympics after tweeting: "With so many Africans in Greece… the West Nile mosquitoes will at least eat homemade food!!!" Her account also promoted the views of Golden Dawn, a far-right political group perceived by many Greeks to be neo-Nazis.