Wallace, from volleyball, is punished by the club after posting about shooting Lula

The board of directors of the Sada Cruzeiro club announced this Tuesday (31) the removal and indefinite suspension of volleyball player Wallace Souza after he made a controversial poll in Instagram stories asking: “Would you shoot Lula in the face with this 12?”. The question was asked after the player posted photos holding a gun in a shooting club.

In a note, the club stressed that it repudiates any act that could mean incitement to violence and that after the player’s posts on social networks, it decided to take action. “The club demanded from athlete Wallace a full retraction and an apology to all who were offended by his posts.”

Wallace will be punished with removal and suspension as provided for in his contract. The club said it hopes that the episode will serve as a learning experience for everyone about the conscious use of social media and the responsibility to spread good values. “Sport should be a tool to spread equality, tolerance and respect.”

Souza, who never hid being a supporter of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), made a series of posts on Instagram stories at the Delta shooting club, in Belo Horizonte, on Monday (30). Among the publications he appears holding a gun and in another he asks the controversial question about who would shoot Lula in the face.

Wallace’s attitude was condemned by several Internet users, politicians and former athletes such as former volleyball player and Minister of Sports Ana Moser and former swimmer Joana Maranhão. This Tuesday, he published a video on Instagram admitting he made a mistake and apologized. “Anyone who knows me knows very well that I would never incite violence under any circumstances, against anyone and especially our president.”