Former Paraguayan goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. Already heavily criticized after a scathing media outburst targeting Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé in the context of the racism case involving young Gianluca Prestianni, the former goalkeeper has once again crossed the line by making openly Islamophobic remarks.

Asked at a press conference, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois didn't mince words in condemning Chilavert's statements, deeming them "regrettable" and incompatible with the values of modern football. This stance clearly did not appease the former Paraguayan international.

Quite the contrary. Invited to speak on Radio Rivadavia, José Luis Chilavert responded vehemently, mixing personal attacks, sporting scores, and discriminatory remarks. Directly targeting Courtois, he brought up his private life before broadening his discourse to generalizations about Muslims, completely unrelated to the initial topic.

In a rambling tirade, the former goalkeeper also criticized the Belgian's level of play, questioning his technical skills and footwork. This latest outburst further adds to Chilavert's already tarnished media record.

“He stole his girlfriend from his teammate De Bruyne, and he talks about values. Prestianni, Vinicius called him a fucking coward, and Mbappé called him a ‘fucking racist,’ so they can insult you but you can’t say anything. Sadly, someone needs to tell Courtois that Belgium is controlled by Muslims, with whom they are complacent, and who beat and kill their women. South American values are pro-family. Someone also needs to tell Courtois to learn to play with his feet and come out of his box; he’s an average goalkeeper,” the Paraguayan told Radio Rivadavia.

These new statements have sparked outrage on social media and throughout the football world, where many are calling for greater responsibility from former stars of the game. The affair confirms, once again, the need to firmly combat hate speech, regardless of its origin or the notoriety of its authors.