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FOOTBALL

Gabi quits Atletico for Qatar

Long-time Atletico Madrid captain Gabi on Tuesday announced his departure for Al Sadd in Qatar where he will link up with former Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez.

Published: 4 July 2018 09:34 CEST
Gabi quits Atletico for Qatar
Gabi greets supporters aboard an open-top bus during a parade celebrating the team's Europa League victory in Madrid in May

“This is a difficult and emotional day for me,” said Gabi, who won six titles at Atletico: one La Liga, two Europa Leagues, one UEFA Super Cup, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup, lifting five as the club's skipper.   

“It's been the hardest moment of my career. This club is a lifestyle for me.”

Gabriel Fernandez, known by his nickname of Gabi, made his senior debut for the La Liga outfit in 2004 and went on to play a total of 417 official matches over 11 seasons.

The 34-year-old, who was never capped by Spain, was loaned out for a season to Getafe and also played five seasons for Zaragoza, returning to Atletico in 2011.

READ ALSO: Who's to blame for Spain's World Cup failure? 

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.

Published: 4 March 2024 13:41 CET
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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