Iniesta under fire over blackface photo on social media

A picture of Andres Iniesta posing with a group of people, including two in ‘blackface,’ has sparked a backlash on social media.

The photo was posted to Iniesta’s Instagram account on Sunday to mark the Three Kings Day celebrations in Spain.

As part of the day, parades are held in towns across Spain with three men dressed up as kings, one of whom is traditionally black.

Iniesta, who now plays in the Japanese top-flight with Vissel Kobe, was not one of the people in the picture whose face was painted black but the picture has sparked outrage and calls to take it down on social media.

Oh no. https://t.co/PUeyo0kv8i

— Football365 (@F365) January 6, 2019

I love Iniesta like few other public figures, let alone athletes. He seems a supremely humble man and team-mate. I just wonder how you can share a dressing room and so many trophies with Eric Abidal and Dani Alves and still not realise this is not cool. It's very disappointing. https://t.co/8N75ZbsFzS

— Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) January 6, 2019

I cannot believe in 2019 famous people are still doing or are around people doing “blackface” and tweeting it, where are your friends Iniesta?! Didn’t anyone say “Andres, I don’t think this is the one bro” 🙄🤦🏻‍♂️ https://t.co/KQ3vzWWTPE

— Nick Bright (@NickBrightDJ) January 6, 2019

However, Iniesta is not the first footballer to be caught up in a ‘blackface’ scandal with Antoine Griezmann issuing an apology after dressing as a Harlem Globetrotter in December 2017 and wearing ‘blackface’ make-up.

Griezmann said at the time: “I admit it’s awkward from me. If I did hurt anybody, then I apologise.”