Argentine top flight team fields streamer in league match, upsets players

By HERNÁN ÁLVAREZ and DÉBORA REY The Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A top flight team in Argentina has fielded a social media influencer in a league match, in a move that upset rival players. Iván Buhajeruk, better known as “Spreen,” played less than a minute before he was substituted in Deportivo Riestra’s 1-1 draw with Argentine league leader Velez Sarsfield. He didn’t even touch the ball. Buhajeruk, a popular streamer in the South American nation, has 8 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 5 million followers on Instagram. He was signed by the Argentine club two months ago and started training with the team last Tuesday. Deportivo Riestra executives defended the move as a push for their main sponsor, an energy drink company.