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RACISM

Football racism: incidents at separate Spanish matches in same day

Spain's football racism problem was laid bare on Saturday with two alleged incidents of racism on the same day at separate matches, including a third-tier side that refused to finish a match after their goalkeeper faced off with fans who were allegedly racially abusing him.

Football racism: incidents at separate Spanish matches in same day
A corner flag reads "VS Racism" in reference to the anti-racism initiative #1voiceVSRACISM ahead of the Spanish league football match between Getafe CF and Girona FC. Photo: Thomas COEX/AFP.

The incidents came a few days after Spain faced Brazil in a friendly match arranged to combat racism, following numerous instances of abuse aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior over recent seasons.

Rayo Majadahonda goalkeeper Cheikh Kane Sarr was sent off in the 84th minute of his team’s match at Sestao River, near Bilbao, after remonstrating with one supporter behind his goal.

His team decided not to keep playing after the Senegalese goalkeeper, 23, was dismissed and eventually walked off, with the game then suspended.

Earlier La Liga side Sevilla condemned “racist and xenophobic abuse” aimed at coach Quique Sanchez Flores and defender Marcos Acuna during a game at Getafe.

“We had three despicable cases of racism in Spain this Saturday alone,” wrote Vinicius on social media platform X, offering his support to Acuna and Sanchez Flores.

READ ALSO: Racism in Spain reducing my desire to play football: Brazil’s Vinicius

“To Sarr and Rayo Majadahonda, may your bravery inspire others, racists must be exposed and the games cannot continue with them in the stands,” added the Madrid forward.

“We will only have victory when the racists leave the stadiums and go straight to jail, a place they deserve.”

Vinicius notably suffered racial abuse away at Valencia in May last season and received worldwide support after squaring off with a supporter in the stands, as Sarr did at Sestao.

“Our team will not come out to restart the game after our player received unacceptable racist insults,” wrote Sarr’s team Rayo Majadahonda on X.

“It’s an absolute disgrace what happened today… a section of the stadium spitting out racist insults at our team-mate Cheikh Sarr, for the colour of his skin,” said their captain Jorge Casado on Instagram.

READ ALSO:

“In addition, the RFEF (Spanish football federation) trying to oblige us to go out and finish the game.

“How shameful, it seems crazy that it’s the year 2024 and we have brainless people in the stadiums running amok — we are all Cheikh, no to racism.”

‘Abhorrent’

The Spanish federation said their competition committee would decide on issues arising from the incident.

“The match was suspended after an incident between fans… and Cheikh Sarr… who reported having received racist insults without any member of the referee team, given their position on the field, being able to hear them,” said the Spanish federation in a statement.

“Francisco Garcia Riesgo, the referee, suspended the match when the visiting team’s players decided to leave the field of play due to the aforementioned events, without the referee being able to put the anti-racism protocol into practise since the Madrid team refused to continue playing.”

Rayo Majadahonda, losing 2-1 at the time, had already been reduced to 10 men earlier in the second half before Sarr was then dismissed.

It was the second match tainted by alleged racism of the day in Spain, following two incidents in Sevilla’s 1-0 win at Getafe.

Referee Javier Iglesias Villanueva wrote in his report home fans yelled “Acuna monkey” and “Acuna, you come from monkeys” at the Argentina international, leading the official to briefly pause the match.

Sevilla coach Quique Sanchez Flores said he was called a “gypsy” by some home fans, and that he was proud of his background but opposed it being used as abuse.

“I am proud of every pore in my veins that can breathe ‘gypsy’,” said the coach.

“It is one thing to be a gypsy or partly, and another to use it as a racist insult — I find it abhorrent.”

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CORRUPTION

Rubiales denies ‘irregularities’ in Spanish football corruption probe

Disgraced former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales denied any financial "irregularities" on Monday after testifying in court in a corruption probe into his time in charge.

Rubiales denies 'irregularities' in Spanish football corruption probe

“What I maintain, and will always maintain, and I am convinced that justice will (demonstrate), is there has never been any money received in an irregular way,” Rubiales told reporters after leaving the Madrid court.

Rubiales, 46, who resigned following global outrage after he forcibly kissed Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso last summer after the final, testified at length.

“I have answered all the questions I was asked, if I have to come here again I will be here, collaborating – I am the one most interested in clearing everything up,” said Rubiales.

Rubiales must appear in court every month and ask permission from the judge before making any trips outside of Spain, a court source told AFP.

Rubiales was briefly detained on his return to Spain from the Dominican Republic at the start of April as part of a probe into federation (RFEF) contracts signed since 2018, including one signed by Rubiales to take the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

“There has never been any irregular tender, we have been paid with the utmost excellence and in the pursuit of legality,” added Rubiales.

On March 20th investigators searched Rubiales’ house in the southern city of Granada among 11 locations in the alleged graft scandal.

The raids were part of “an investigation linked to presumed crimes linked with corruption in business, fraudulent administration and money laundering”, according to judicial sources.

The Super Cup contracts are worth €40 million a year ($43.3 million) with the deal brokered by Kosmos, a company owned by former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique.

The Spanish Super Cup took place for the first time in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

It returned to Spain for a year during the Covid-19 pandemic but the subsequent three editions have returned to the oil-rich Gulf state.

New Spanish football president Pedro Rocha is also under investigation in the alleged graft case.

Rocha served as federation vice-president under Rubiales, then replaced him on an interim basis before being elected as chief this week.

Rubiales is also set to go on trial over the non-consensual kiss on Hermoso’s lips, which under Spanish law can be classed as sexual assault.

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