Spanish celebrity Edurne Garcia, who is Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea's girlfriend, has come under fire after Russia crushed Spain in their round of 16 match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Ahead of the match, the woman posted a short clip from the stands of the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, in which she twirls in her boyfriend’s jersey.
Shouting from Russia GO SPAAAAIN!
Following the defeat, the post drew trolls and angered fans. They trashed the Spanish team and specifically its goalkeeper de Gea, who missed 5 penalty strikes (one in the regular time and four in the penalty shoot-out). Some preferred straightforward offenses like “Your boyfriend is s**t,” or more elaborate “Stop making jokes about De Gea, he will not catch them.”
There were those who tried to spread a hashtag #degeatheworst, stating “Thanks to your boyfriend we are out of the world cup!”
Others decided to comment on the coach’s decision not to take keeper Iker Casillas, who won the 2012 European Cup, to the tournament in Russia, claiming “Go on, you move more than De Gea. Enough with DE GEA. Casillas… what we did with you…”
Some defended Garcia and De Gea, saying “If your girlfriend does not support, who will do it?” or “It is unfortunate that some used Edurne as an aim to criticize De Gea.”
Edurne Garcia, who was a judge on Span’s Got Talent, took part at Eurovision and now pursues an actress career in Spain, has reportedly dated Manchester United’s goalie, who is based in England, since 2010.
READ MORE: Complacency & Mistakes: Examining Spain’s Lackluster 2018 World Cup Performance
Russia has won its round of 16 match against Spain by winning the penalty shootout 4-3 due to two saves by goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, making it to quarterfinals for the first time in modern Russia's history. In the next round game, Russia will face Croatia.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the matches being played in 11 cities across Russia.