By love-89.com The Spanish government, La Liga, and Real Madrid have come forward with strong responses after reports of racist insults directed at Barcelona players during Saturday’s match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Notably, 17-year-old Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, of Equatorial Guinean and Moroccan descent, was reportedly the target of xenophobic and racist abuse, even as his team secured a resounding 4-0 victory over their arch-rivals.
The Spanish Supreme Sports Council (CSD) condemned these racist incidents and is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the situation further. The inquiry into the matter will involve various bodies, including the CSD, Spanish police, civil guard, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), La Liga, and the state attorney general’s office.
La Liga stated that they will promptly report the incidents of racism to the national police’s hate crimes section, and also notify the coordinating prosecutor from the hate crimes and discrimination unit of the state attorney general’s office. They emphasized their commitment to combatting racism both inside and outside of stadiums.
In response, Real Madrid has launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the abuse, expressing their strong disapproval of any forms of racism or violence within the sport. The club issued a statement condemning the actions of a few fans who resorted to insults during the match.
Spain’s Minister for Migration and Inclusion, Elma Saiz, also spoke out against the incident, asserting that aggressive behavior unacceptable in other areas of society must not be normalized in sports. Both the RFEF and La Liga are enacting measures to counter the rising trend of racist abuse, including potential partial stadium closures.
The RFEF reiterated their zero-tolerance policy toward racist abuse and violence, labeling it a “social scourge”. They committed to collaborating with all stakeholders in sports and society to eliminate such behavior from events and venues.
In a related incident in England, Bristol Rovers expressed outrage over racist abuse directed at forward Shaq Forde following their League One match against Reading. After receiving a red card during the game, Forde was targeted on Instagram with hurtful messages that he and his teammates highlighted as “abusive and racist.” The club pledged to support the police investigation and reiterated their frustration with the ongoing problem of racism in sports.
“Shaq is not an isolated case,” a Bristol Rovers spokesperson noted, pointing out that another incident was under investigation just last week. “What’s even more disheartening is that some of these messages come from individuals claiming to be supporters of our club. We’ve continually sought to address these situations appropriately.”