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Cruz Azul are considering captain Julio Cesar ‘Cata’ Dominguez‘s future at the club after the former Mexico international threw a Narcos-themed birthday party for his son, sources have told ESPN.
The defender was left out of the squad for Sunday’s 1-1 league draw at Club Tijuana after images he shared from his son’s 12th birthday party on social media went viral on Jan. 6.
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The celebrations saw guests playing with fake weapons, wearing Cruz Azul jerseys and caps with the initials “JGL,” in reference to Joaquin Guzman Loera ‘Chapo,’ a Mexican former drug lord who is serving life imprisonment in the United States.
The party took place hours after 19 suspected gang members and 10 military personnel were killed in a wave of violence in the Mexican state of Sinaloa following operation on Thursday by the Mexican government that ended with the arrest of Ovidio Guzman, the son of ‘Chapo.’
The photographs of Dominguez’s party that circulated in social media were considered by Cruz Azul fans to be distasteful and inappropriate, with some supporters calling for the player to be released from his contract.
Dominguez, 35, apologised on social media, saying that neither he nor his family “promote or justify any type of violence” and recognised that the photographs did not help to give a good impression of Mexico.
The veteran defender added: “We are people that encourage sport to new generations as well as the values and principles of an exemplary institution as is CF Cruz Azul.”
Dominguez reacted positively during the talks with club executives about the incident. The club are yet to hand a punishment, if any, to the player, who could also face action from Liga MX, who have opened an investigation.
Dominguez, who holds the all-time record for most appearances for Cruz Azul, has represented Mexico on 24 occasions, his last coming in June. He did not make Mexico’s World Cup squad.