San Diego soccer team enhances security to eject fans who use common Mexican 'anti-gay' chant during game

The Major League Soccer (MLS) squad San Diego FC has announced it is investing successful large stadium cognition and information initiatives to ace down connected the usage of an "anti-gay" chant utilized by fans. The chant has been commonly utilized by fans of the Mexican nationalist squad for galore decades, and has antecedently resulted successful sanctions against the country's shot nine successful the past. 

San Diego FC's program to ace down connected the chant includes a drastic summation successful information astatine Snapdragon Stadium. 

"The fig of stadium information unit volition beryllium accrued and strategically positioned successful cardinal areas, with a heightened beingness adjacent the opposing goalkeeper’s section. Offenders volition beryllium identified, ejected, and whitethorn look further sanctions," the squad wrote successful its announcement.

The squad is besides present reserving the close to pause, suspend oregon wholly wantonness a lucifer if fans usage the chant. 

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Fans cheer during a crippled betwixt the San Diego FC and the St. Louis City astatine Snapdragon Stadium connected March 01, 2025 successful San Diego, California.  (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Additionally, the squad is making large changes to the team's connection with fans during and earlier games to prioritize discouraging the chant. 

Stadium unit volition present spot a flyer successful each spot cupholders reminding fans that discriminatory connection volition not beryllium tolerated, featuring the message: "Aquí No" / "Not Here." Prior to kickoff, squad CEO Tom Penn, Head Coach Mikey Varas and subordinate Aníbal Godoy volition present pre-recorded a connection discouraging the chant. 

And during the match, the squad volition show a disposable in-stadium banner reinforcing the connection condemning the chant successful the supporters’ section. 

The chant was astir precocious utilized during the team's location opener St. Louis City connected March 1. Fans utilized the chant 3 times, contempt predominant attempts by stadium unit to get the chant to halt via the nationalist code system.

Varas condemned the fans who utilized it aft that game. 

"The chant that was heard contiguous is unacceptable," Varas told reporters. "It's extracurricular of our worth system. It doesn't correspond the players, myself oregon the club, and it surely doesn't correspond San Diego oregon Baja California. It's not a reflection of who we are. We're a assemblage afloat of love, of support, and we judge successful the powerfulness of diversity."

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Fans cheer during a crippled betwixt the San Diego FC and the St. Louis City astatine Snapdragon Stadium connected March 01, 2025 successful San Diego, California.  (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

The chant, which is traditionally utilized portion an opposing goalkeeper takes a extremity kick, originated successful the Mexican metropolis of Guadalajara successful the aboriginal 2000s. 

The chant, which is repeated usage of the connection "puto" and translates successful English to "male prostitute," went mostly unaddressed by large shot institutions, and was prominently heard astatine a 2004 Olympic qualifier betwixt the U.S. and Mexico. 

However, it became much arguable and frowned upon arsenic the years went on. 

In 2019, FIFA introduced its three-step protocol, the aforesaid 1 present utilized by San Diego FC, designed to deter supporters from participating successful the chant.

In 2021, each Mexico fans were banned from a brace of World Cup qualifiers due to the fact that of the chant. 

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Fans of San Diego cheer for their squad during the MLS lucifer betwixt San Diego FC and St. Louis CITY SC astatine Snapdragon Stadium connected March 01, 2025 successful San Diego, California.  (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee announced that the Mexican National Team would person to play its World Cup qualifier matches against Jamaica and Canada that twelvemonth successful an bare stadium aft fans utilized the chant during the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football Nations League (CONCACAF) games against Costa Rica and the USA earlier that June. The squad was besides fined $73,000. 

U.S. vs. Mexico CONCACAF Nations League matches had beryllium suspended successful back-to-back years successful 2023 and 2024 aft Mexico fans utilized the chant some times. 

Now, the chant has made its mode to the MLS ranks, and San Diego FC is trying to curb it from spreading. 

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