Here's Argentinian soccer stud Ezequiel Lavezzi striking that stupid pose racist people do when trying to impersonate a Chinese person.

The photo was part of a promotional shoot for Lavezzi's pro team in the Chinese Super League. EL says he was just trying to make "funny faces ... for entertainment purposes."

Once the pic surfaced online, people were pissed -- saying the pic is racially insensitive ... because it is.

Lavezzi says he had "no intention of insulting the Chinese people and did not do it with any bad intentions."

He added, "I deeply apologize if this photo has offended the Chinese public and fans. I will be more careful in the future."

Lavezzi clearly didn't learn from Pau Gasol's mistake -- when Pau and the Spanish basketball team struck the same pose before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.