Sevilla strongly denounced the “racist and xenophobic abuse” directed at defender Marcos Acuña and coach Quique Sánchez Flores during their victorious 1-0 LaLiga clash against Getafe last Saturday.
The match encountered a halt in the 68th minute, with a stern warning broadcasted through the stadium loudspeakers, following LaLiga’s anti-racism protocol, after discernible racist chants emanated from the spectators, as reported by referee Javier Iglesias Villanueva.
Sevilla’s manager, Sánchez Flores, revealed during his post-match press conference that he had been subjected to a xenophobic slur by a faction of the fans.
Sánchez Flores boasts a coaching history with Getafe, having led the team three times, with his latest tenure spanning from October 2021 to April 2023, where he notably steered them clear of relegation in the 2021-22 season.
“I’m proud, with every inch of my body, to be a gypsy,” Sánchez Flores said. “But it’s one thing being a gypsy, or having gypsy heritage, and another thing for it to be used as a racist insult. That seems abnormal to me.“Some of the fans think they can say whatever they want here. That’s what happens in every stadium, around the world. People think they can say whatever they want. But we’re workers, we’re here to work, in peace, in a space where we should be respected.
“In this day and age, where so many advances are being made, it seems abnormal to me. And I should also say that there were some Getafe fans who were against what the others were saying.”
“We’ve been asking for respect in football for some time,” Sevilla’s goalscorer Sergio Ramos said. “People shouldn’t come to a stadium to let off steam, to say silly things, to insult players. The assistant referee heard an insult aimed at Acuña and he let the referee know.
“I think we have to deal with these people, point them out, so others can see them, and ban them from stadiums, to clean up football’s image. Football is a marvelous sport, and it should unite, not divide.”
“If the referee and Acuña heard it, it must have happened,” Getafe coach José Bordalás said. “It’s normal that the protocol was activated. We’re against any insult, any racist chant, wherever it is, in any venue.”
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a third-division encounter between Sestao River and Rayo Majadahonda witnessed suspension during the final minutes when the visiting goalkeeper was sent off after confronting a fan who allegedly hurled racial insults at him.
Rayo’s goalkeeper, Cheikh Sarr, who is of Black descent, received a red card after confronting spectators behind his goal.
Rayo Majadahonda declared on Twitter their decision not to resume the game “due to the intolerable racist abuse directed at our player.”
The issue of racism in Spanish football has been under intense scrutiny in recent months, particularly highlighted by the emotional breakdown of Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior before Brazil’s international friendly against Spain when questioned about the matter.
Vinícius expressed solidarity with Acuña, Sánchez Flores, and Sarr through a post on his social media, emphasizing his support for them in the face of discrimination.
“We had three despicable cases of racism in Spain this Saturday,” he wrote. “The racists should be expelled and games should not continue with them in the stands. We will only achieve victory when these racists are taken out of the stadiums and straight into prison, the place where they belong.”
