An American sports reporter has ignited international controversy with dismissive on-air comments about Bosnia and Herzegovina made prior to the United States' World Cup knockout game.
ABC 7 Los Angeles reporter Abigail Velez became the subject of widespread criticism after a clip surfaced over the weekend in which she expressed a lack of knowledge and interest regarding the U.S. men's national team's opponent in the Round of 32.
"The next round, Team USA will play Bosnia and the thing about Bosnia is that I could not point out where it is on the map," Velez stated during a broadcast. "I don't know the first thing about Bosnia and I don't want to know. That's because Team USA, we're back and better than ever." She concluded her remarks by saying, "Be prepared Bosnia, because you don't want it like that."
The segment rapidly spread across social media platforms, drawing strong condemnation from Bosnian fans and some U.S. sports enthusiasts. Comments on social media platforms included sentiments such as, "My goodness, the stereotypes write themselves," and criticisms questioning the reporter's perceived ignorance.
Some U.S. fans expressed embarrassment over the remarks, with some issuing online apologies to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The controversy has emerged as the World Cup fixture between the two nations approaches.
As of the publication of this report, neither ABC 7 Los Angeles nor Abigail Velez had issued a public statement or apology regarding the controversy.