When the Netherlands met Mexico on 29^th June 2014 for their crunch encounter in The 2014 FIFA World Cup round of the last 16 to decide who progresses into the quarter finals; that night in Brazil’s amazing 67,000-seater Estádio Castelão in Fortaleza, few would have predicted that the match would have been remembered for off field antics rather than on the pitch itself. But even more unprecedented would be the fact that the match was more talked about worldwide due to a bad joke, the Dutch airline KLM, and translation services.

Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KLM) which roughly translates into the Royal Dutch Airlines had stayed largely patriotic in their support of the Netherlands throughout the 2014 FIFA World Cup which is all good and well as most business and celebrated individuals would follow suit regardless of international presence but there is a fine line you tread between friendly banter and offending a whole nation. In a joke gone horribly wrong KLM had kicked their competitive nature well into overdrive; which in all fairness encompasses the World Cup and football as a whole, and in all honesty was probably not a very well thought-out gibe broadcasted internationally on Twitter at the fact that the Netherlands had overcome Mexico’s 1-0 lead to then overturn the deficit to win 2-1 thus eliminating Mexico from all further participation in this year’s World Cup. A joke which left a very sour taste in many Mexican’s mouths. The joke itself was a picture of a departures sign in an airport with a small image of a man wearing a sombrero, poncho and a moustache with the caption phrase “Adios Amigos” which you don’t need professional translation services to work out that was their way of mocking Mexico’s exit from the World Cup at the hands of KLM fellow countrymen.

In all fairness to KLM the joke itself was pretty harmless but when you are making it at the expense of the whole Mexican nation with an estimated population of 120 million with even more worldwide, you are bound to offend someone. Not everyone will take a joke like this in good humour. One such person Gael Garcia Bernal an A-list actor in Mexico launched an expletive rant on Twitter about the joke declaring his intentions to never fly with KLM again. “It was meant to be a joke, but there was too much negative reaction.” KLM spokeswoman Lisette Ebeling Koning said, adding that KLM never intended to offend any Mexicans, this form an airline which it serves daily direct flight between Mexico City and Amsterdam. Was KLM’s Mexican World Cup exit joke just friendly banter or was it a step too far? Right now it seems the latter but as the dust settles this will most likely be seen as a lesson learnt or could blow over, who knows but what is for certain right now is that if KLM came to Exchange Lingo for translation services or interpreting services you can put your money on the fact we would have definitely advised KLM to steer well clear of any World Cup exit jokes especially while it is still hot.