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FOOTBALL

Verona fined €20,000 for Matuidi racist abuse

Serie A club Verona have been fined €20,000 ($24,000) for racist chants by their fans toward Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi last weekend.

Verona fined €20,000 for Matuidi racist abuse
Juventus' midfielder Blaise Matuidi. Photo: Marco Bertorello/AFP

The abuse of the French international took place as he opened the scoring six minutes into the game which the six-time reigning champions won 3-1.

Sporting Judge Gerardo Mastrandrea ruled on Wednesday that Verona will also have to play one game without spectators in their Curva Sud (South End).

However, as it is the first time this season there have been racist chants the execution of the sanction to close the South End was suspended for a year.

“If during this period a similar violation is committed, the suspension will be revoked and the penalty will be added to that imposed for the new violation, in addition to the fine of €20,000,” a statement issued by the
league read.

Matuidi, 30, joined Juventus last summer from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth an estimated 20 million euros.

Paulo Dybala also scored twice in the final 20 minutes of last Saturday's league game as Juventus stayed a point behind leaders Napoli.

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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