Le Figaro. How did you experience the Matera affair?
Gonzalo Quesada:
It was frankly a huge surprise.
I admit that for a few days I was extremely shocked.
I immediately sent him a message (
Matera was then in Australia with the Pumas, Editor's note
) telling him that we needed to talk because I had trouble understanding his words.
Why were you surprised?
I discovered Pablo in 2018 with the Pumas.
An extraordinary guy with deep and sincere values, an admirable state of mind, who respected everyone.
An undisputed and indisputable captain of the Jaguares and Pumas, ultra-respected by all.
On tours or during trips of three or four weeks for Super Rugby, you get to know the men.
They can no longer hide.
And I admired the man Pablo Matera was.
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How did he justify you having written such words?
Speaking with him, I managed to understand the context a bit more.
First Twitter in 2011, it's not what it is today.
Then it was kids, 17-year-old high school students who were really stupid looking to write the biggest bullshit for fun.
Be careful, this is not an excuse.
But Pablo went through a difficult time at that age.
He did not live with the death of his father and had a few years of rebellion, of "rebelcon", where he did anything ... We are not going to do psychology.
He was a kid who couldn't mature, couldn't grieve, and did a lot of bullshit.
But, thanks to rugby, he has managed to become a very different man.
Mature and father of a family, captain of the Pumas and Jaguares ...
"
Pablo is very ashamed of that, a lot of regrets
"
And the meaning of the words he used at the time ...
I'm not going to make a subject on that but it is important to also understand that the meaning of some words is not the same when we translate it (
negro translated by negro but who no longer has the meaning of black in Spanish, Editor's note
).
There was no racism in there.
On the other hand, there is, it is true, a meaning `` classist '', xenophobic, disgusting, on South American immigration in Argentina (
Matera, Petti and Socino made very degrading remarks on the cleaning ladies Bolivian and Paraguayan, Editor's note
).
It is the reflection of a very long history.
But that does not prevent that yes, it was shocking.
And I was shocked.
Beyond all that, I asked her "
did you ever think that, do you feel things like that?"
".
He told me no.
These words do not represent the man he is today.
There is no doubt about it.
But even then, it didn't represent his thinking, his ideology.
They were just jokes without realizing their absurdity.
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How does he feel today?
He's very ashamed of it, a lot of regrets.
He couldn't remember all the bullshit he had written but remembered that, on all subjects, it was anything that he and his buddies wrote.
He said it himself: it was a bunch of immature little idiots.
It's a shame because, even if, for some of us, we have forgiven him, we have turned the page, and we accompany him, unfortunately for him, for a long time, maybe even for life, he will be marked by that.
“
I told him he's not kidding.
For some of his teammates, it will take time to forgive him
”
How did it go with his teammates at Stade Français Paris on his return?
He wanted to talk to the players, to everyone, to explain and apologize.
He was putting himself in the shoes of someone reading just that, the word-for-word translation on top of that: "
What the hell is that jerk!"
He wanted to ask for forgiveness, express regret and try to explain, even if it remains partly inexcusable.
He spoke twice because the first part of the group was on vacation.
How were his explanations perceived?
I told him he shouldn't have any illusions.
The process is underway but it will take time ... It is very individual.
Most players have understood that mistakes of youth, more or less stupid, everyone has made.
Even if hers are very serious.
Many accepted his apologies, forgave him.
But, for some, it will take longer.
It's up to him to do what is necessary to get closer to them.
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