October 27, Madrid (Reuters) – Following reports that racist taunts were hurled at Barcelona players during Saturday’s game at the Santiago Bernabeu, La Liga and Real Madrid responded forcefully on Sunday.
According to Spanish media, Lamine Yamal, a 17-year-old Barcelona forward of Moroccan and Equatorial Guinean ancestry, was the focus of racist and xenophobic taunts. Yamal was one of the players who helped Barcelona win the match 4-0.
“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,” the league 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.”
In order to take the proper action, Real Madrid announced that they had launched an inquiry to find the offenders.
“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 stated in a statement.
A request for comment from Reuters was not immediately answered by Barcelona.
Elma Saiz Delgado, Spain’s minister of migration and inclusion, also denounced the event.
“We will fight against the Government for its racist insults against Lamine Yamal during El Clasico,” she declared in a statement on Sunday.
“We will not permit aggressions in sports that we do not accept in other contexts to become commonplace. whole backing for the players and La Liga’s complaint.”
La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have implemented measures, such as partial stadium closures, to address the rise in racial abuse.
In Spain, four people were detained and interrogated Thursday on suspicion of running an internet hate campaign in the lead-up to Real Madrid’s match against Atletico Madrid last month, inciting supporters to taunt the Brazilian player Vinicius Jr. based on his race.
