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FOOTBALL

Footballer Makelele cleared of assaulting ex

Former Real Madrid and Chelsea star Claude Makelele was cleared by a French court on Thursday of assaulting his British ex-girlfriend.

Thandi Ojeer, an events organiser who had a two-year-relationship with the midfielder, had accused him of punching her in the face during a dispute at the home they once shared in the Paris suburbs.

Prosecutors had asked for the former France international to be given a five-month suspended prison sentence. But a judge on Thursday dismissed Ojeer's case and her claim for €90,000 compensation and ordered her to pay €2,000 for bringing an unsubstantiated civil claim to court.

Ojeer had alleged that Makelele had assaulted her in October 2010 when she returned to their flat to collect clothes and other belongings, four months after the former player had abruptly ended their relationship.

Makelele's lawyer confirmed during a trial in June that there had been a dispute but said his client had used legitimate force to defend himself.

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RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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