24-year-old streamer joins Argentinian football match for 58 seconds, embarrasses the whole country

Argentinian football club Deportivo Riestra, ninth in the Argentinian league after being promoted last year, have been heavily and almost unanimously criticised for their latest marketing stunt: they got a popular YouTuber, Spreen, to play in a first division match.

This isn't a case of YouTubers and streamers organising their own football and sports competitions, like it's the case of Spanish Kings and Queens's league. Not even about YouTubers becoming genuine sportspeople, like Jake Paul, who fights Mike Tyson this week. This is simply a case of YouTubers leeching off professional sports just for publicity. For the money.

Iván Buhajeruk, a 24-year-old streamer known as Spreen, that mostly plays video games in front of his eight million subscribers, was a headline for the team. But he played less than a minute: as after 58 seconds, he was replaced.

"I have never seen anything like this. This is unheard of. This is embarrassing. Where's the fun in this? We are journalists, this is a lack of respect. This burdens Argentinian football", said the commentators live.

This was orchestrated by Speed, a energy drinks company that promotes both the club and the streamer. Riestra's captain, Milton Céliz, said resigned that "we are not responsible, this comes from the owners".

"All I know is that Iván sells cans and I get paid thanks to the cans", said the manager, Cristian Fabbiani, as read in El País.

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Argentinian Football Association and a public prosecutor are investigating signs violation of ethics and fraud

Due to the overwhelming negative response, the club posted a statement stating their sincer appologies to anyoen offended. "Our goal was (and still is) to attract new public to football, building bridges between different worlds and platforms", and quoting Real Madrid's president Florentino Pérez when he said that European youth is losing interest in football.

But the marketing stunt garnered fierce critics from many public figures (including players from opposite team Vélez, current Argentinian leaders): "Today TV showed (the kids) a shortcut that is not valid one. Today was a lack of respect towards football (...) a wrong message to society, to the kids.", said Braian Romero from Vélez. The match ended 1-1.

This issue might not end in public backlash, as AFA (Argentinian Football Association) is investigation if this was a violation of ethics code, and a public prosecutor is suspicious of a gambling fraud.