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Argentina's president-elect slights football club River Plate

Xinhua, November 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Argentina's president-elect Mauricio Macri, a former president of Argentine football club Boca Juniors, stirred controversy Monday by slighting a rival team.

During his first press conference as president-elect, a day after winning the presidential election, Macri was asked whether he would root for River Plate, the only Argentinian team competing in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

"I will receive them as president if they win the Club World Cup, but rooting for River is difficult for me," said Macri, who was the president of River Plate's rival club Boca Juniors from 1995 to 2008.

"Messi and Mascherano are also Argentinians, so excuse me," said Macri, referring to Argentine players Leonel Messi and Javier Mascherano, national team players who also play for Spanish team Barcelona, a Club World Cup team that may end up playing against River.

At the FIFA Club World Cup, River will compete in the semi-finals in Osaka on Dec. 16. If they win, they could go up against powerful Barcelona in the final.

Should that happen, Macri indicated, then his allegiance would be to those two national team players.

Macri, 56, was president of Boca Juniors between 1998 and 2008. The team won a large number of titles and built a strong rivalry with River Plate during this period. Endi