A Spanish third-tier side on Saturday refused to finish a match after their goalkeeper faced off with fans who were allegedly racially abusing him, hours after La Liga club Sevilla complained of insults directed at their coach and a player.
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 the past few 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.
Photo: EPA-EFE
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,” Vinicius wrote on X, offering his support to Acuna and Sanchez Flores.
“To Sarr and Rayo Majadahonda, may your bravery inspire others, racists must be exposed and the games cannot continue with them in the stands,” the Madrid forward added. “We will only have victory when the racists leave the stadiums and go straight to jail, a place they deserve.”
“It’s an absolute disgrace what happened today ... a section of the stadium spitting out racist insults at our teammate Cheikh Sarr, for the color of his skin,” Rayo captain Jorge Casado wrote on Instagram. “In addition, the RFEF [Royal Spanish Football Federation] trying to oblige us to go out and finish the game. How shameful.”
In Sevilla’s 1-0 win at Getafe, referee Javier Iglesias Villanueva wrote in his report that 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, adding 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,’” the coach said. “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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