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FC Basel bags footballer from German league

Ivory Coast forward Giovanni Sio is joining Swiss champions FC Basel from Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg for an undisclosed fee, the German club says.

FC Basel bags footballer from German league
Giovanni Sio. Photo: UEFA.com

Basel have confirmed the move, announced by Wolfsburg on Saturday, and Sio is set to play in their Champions League play-off, first-leg tie against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad on Wednesday if the paperwork is completed in time.
   
The 24-year-old Sio, who signed for Wolfsburg in January 2012, made only 10 Bundesliga appearances, including the final ten minutes of Wolves' 2-0 defeat at Hanover 96 last weekend.
   
In his 18-month spell at the club he was twice sent out on loan at Germans Augsburg then France's Sochaux.
   
Sio made the last of his three appearances for Ivory Coast when he came off the bench in their 4-1 defeat to Mexico in New Jersey last Wednesday and already has Swiss league experience having spent three years at FC Sion.
   
"The move is a great chance for Giovanni and he can establish himself as a first-choice option at FC Basel," said Wolfsburg's team manager Klaus Allofs.
   
"We wish him all the very best for this new challenge."

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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”.

https://twitter.com/GravesenFumado/status/1764242481984491822

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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