Chilavert: looks like he's storing his cash in his face
Paraguayan netminding legend José Luis Chilavert got into a bit of fisticuffs at the airport in Asunción over a monetary dispute with an Argentine businessman.
Chila, who currently lives in Buenos Aires but travels frequently back to Paraguay for business, claims that Pablo Martín Seijas owes him some money from a loan. When he approached Seijas about it, the entrepreneur allegedly called him a “starving Paraguayan”.
“It bothers me when I’m abroad and people insult us [Paraguayans], but in our country I will not allow it. He threw a couple punches at me and I had to defend myself,” said Chilavert, adding, “I’m not dying of hunger, I feel proud to be Paraguayan.”
Seijas, meanwhile, claims he doesn’t owe Chilavert “even half a dollar.”
All this may seem a bit confusing until you understand that “starving Paraguayan” is a common racial epithet in Argentina, a reference to the influx of low income Paraguayan immigrants seeking higher paying jobs across the border. Some Argentines have a tendency to treat other South Americans as their inferiors (I’m putting this mildly), especially Bolivians and Paraguayans. So Seijas basically called Chilavert a wetback, which would explain why he felt obligated to throw down.
The airport security “video” (that’s just a really lousy frame rate there) suggests that Seijas got the worst of the encounter, as you can see the much larger Chilavert chasing him around. Reminds me of a crappy boxing game I had on my dad’s Commodore 64 back in the day.
Chilavert was recently listed as the 6th best goalkeeper of the last quarter century by the IFFHS, though you may also remember him for the absolutely terrible commentary he provided for Univision during the World Cup this year.
He’s crazy, just like all the best goalkeepers. When I was growing up and still getting into the game I thought the fact that he took PKs and free kicks from the GK position was outrageous.
Chila definitely has a place among the GK greats. As a young keeper, I loved watching these oddball South/Latin American guys like Higuita, Chilavert, and Campos. Don;t know if he owes he money, but still kudos for knocking a Argie back down to size
ignore bad grammar, you get the idea.
Also, the fact that Fabien Barthez makes that list totally negates it.
EN VIVO!
/He’s a Univision guy right?