MADRID (Reuters) -The Spanish government, LaLiga and Real Madrid reacted strongly on Sunday after racist insults were allegedly directed at Barcelona players during Saturday’s match at the Bernabeu stadium.
Spanish media reported that 17-year-old Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, who is of Equatorial Guinean and Moroccan heritage, was among the players targeted with xenophobic and racist abuse during El Clasico. Barcelona beat arch-rivals Real 4-0, with Yamal among the scorers.
The Spanish Supreme Sports Council (CSD) condemned the incidents and said it would meet on Monday to discuss the case.
The State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sports the CSD, the police and civil guard, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), LaLiga and the state Attorney General’s Office.
“LaLiga will immediately report the racist insults and gestures received by Barcelona players to the Hate Crimes Section of the National Police Information Brigade, as well as informing the Coordinating Prosecutor of the Hate Crimes and Discrimination Unit of the State Attorney General’s Office,” LaLiga said in a statement.
“LaLiga vehemently condemns the incidents at the Santiago Bernabeu and remains firm in its commitment to eradicate any kind of racist behaviour and hatred inside and outside stadiums.”
REAL MADRID INVESTIGATION
Real Madrid said they had opened an investigation to identify the perpetrators so that action can be taken.
“Real Madrid strongly condemns any kind of behaviour involving racism, xenophobia or violence in football and sport, and deeply regrets the insults that a few fans uttered last night in one of the corners of the stadium,” the club said in a statement.
Barcelona did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Spain’s migration minister Elma Saiz also condemned the incident.
“We will not allow aggressions that we do not tolerate in other spaces to become normalized in sports,” she said in a statement.
The RFEF said it was enforcing a zero-tolerance policy on racist abuse and violence in stadiums, calling it a “social scourge”.
“The RFEF will work with all the people and institutions that are part of sport and society to put an end to violence and insults in sports venues and events,” the RFEF said.
The RFEF and LaLiga have taken steps to tackle an increase in racist abuse with measures including partial stadium closures.
Four people were arrested and questioned in Spain on Thursday on suspicion of conducting an online hate campaign encouraging fans to racially abuse Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. in the buildup to their match against Atletico Madrid last month.
In June, the Magistrate’s Court of Valencia issued the first conviction for racist insults in a soccer stadium in Spain following investigation into racial slurs directed at Vinicius at Mastella stadium.
Vinicius, who has emerged as a prominent figure in the fight against racism in both Spain and world soccer after suffering multiple instances of racist abuse over the past two years, showed his support for the Barcelona players.
“There is no place for these criminals in our society,” he said of the abusers. “I know that Madrid and the police will do things to identify and punish the guilty.”
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru and Ana Cantero in Madrid, editing by Ed Osmond)
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