April 15 – Racism has raised its ugly head yet again in Spanish football, this time involving Mallorca who have pledged to identify the fan who made monkey gestures after Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni (pictured) scored in a Spanish league match at the weekend.
The young fan was seen on television appearing to make the monkey gestures as Madrid players celebrated Tchouaméni’s goal early in the second half on Saturday. The fan then threw a plastic water bottle on to the field and Madrid players quickly showed it to the referee.
Mallorca said it “will not tolerate any manifestation of racism” and noted that it “actively participates in all campaigns to eradicate this scourge that goes beyond sport.”
In its statement, it said it didn’t want the “isolated case” to tarnish the image of Mallorca fans but the Spanish league said it “vehemently condemns any racist acts and will continue working to eradicate this inexcusable behaviour from our sport.”
It wasn’t the first time Madrid players complained about being subjected to racist abuse in a match at Mallorca.
Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior said he was called a monkey during a league match there last year and the fan was subsequently accused of a hate crime. Both Vinícius and the fan appeared before a judge during the probe. Mallorca banned the fan for three years.
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