'You’re a ***** liar!' - Gignac sends Twitter rant to reporter who made violence allegations

Jon Arnold

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'You’re a ***** liar!' - Gignac sends Twitter rant to reporter who made violence allegations image

Tigres forward Andre-Pierre Gignac has responded angrily to accusations made by Televisa Deportes journalist Yussif Caro that he struck the reporter after Sunday's Liga MX final, suggesting he would go as far as leaving Mexico if what he sees as mistreatment from the press continues.

Rafa set for El Tri return

A disappointed Gignac went to the locker room rather than receive his runner-up medal after Sunday's 2-1 (4-3 aggregate) loss to Chivas in the second leg. And while video from a TVC reporter shows Gignac in a strong discussion with a member of the press after losing the final and making a movement with his water bottle, he ultimately keeps it in his hand.

After the match, Caro tweeted: "I've always recognized (Gignac's) talent ... today the man struck me in the back. He's a bad loser."

Upon arriving in France for his vacation, Gignac took exception to the accusations, tweeting an emoji-laden note at the reporter.

“You’re a ***** liar, if I’d hit you you’d still be on the floor of the stadium, believe me," he wrote. "What do you want? To make people mad? Do you want to get famous? More followers on Twitter? You can’t understand a players’ sadness and anger after losing a final? You were behind me, following me, shouting at me like a product, an animal. For what? For ‘my pains’ you told me.

"What did you want? Insults? A bad reaction? Oh, no. I know. You wanted an exclusive to grow as a journalist. I’m not a product, nobody tells me what I have to do or say, certainly not a journalist. What a shame I didn't toss the bottle at you! A journalist like you is an embarrassment for the profession. I’m not perfect and I have a lot of flaws, and if I have to leave Mexico because of the press, I’ll go. I’m tired of hearing lies."

Chivas title could be first of many

Cano replied in a tweet of his own: “Andre, the only thing I asked you when you didn’t want to receive your medal was for you to tell the camera what had bothered you. What you did after, you know perfectly well. My salary isn’t for Twitter or for gaining followers. I’ve always highlighted your talent as a player, but there are actions that have no justification. Good luck.”

Jon Arnold

Jon Arnold Photo

Jon Arnold covered the Mexico national team and Concacaf region in English for Goal until March 2020. His byline also has appeared in the Dallas Morning News, the New York Times Goal blog, FloFC and Pacific Standard. In addition to his written work, he serves as the Concacaf expert on the BBC's World Football Phone-In and has appeared on SiriusXMFC in English and Fox Deportes and Milenio in Spanish. Formerly based in Tijuana and currently living in Texas, Jon covered the 2018 World Cup, the 2015 Copa America, the 2016 Copa America Centenario and the last five Gold Cups.