Fans' racist insults close Getafe stadium for three games

MADRID, Spain (AP):

Getafe will play the next three home games with part of their stadium closed as punishment for fans racially insulting an opposition player and coach in a Spanish league match at the weekend.

The Spanish soccer federation’s disciplinary committee said today that it had also fined the southern Madrid club €27,000 (US$29,100).

The punishment came after Saturday’s top-tier match against Sevilla had to be briefly paused because of racial slurs targeting Sevilla defender Marcos Acuña and Sevilla coach Quique Sánchez Flores.

The sections of the stadium where the insults came will be closed for league matches against Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid. Fans who have season tickets in those sections will not be allowed to relocate to another area of the Coliseum Stadium.

There has been a wave of racist abuse against players at football matches in Spain recently, especially aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. The Brazil international, who is Black, was also regularly targeted last season.

Last week, Spain played Brazil to a 3-3 draw at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in a friendly that was set up to highlight the fight against racism after the abuse aimed at Vinícius last season.

Vinícius has been highly critical of the inability of football authorities to take effective action to protect him and other players.

Also Saturday a third-division game in Spain between Sestao River and Rayo Majadahonda was suspended in the final minutes after the goalkeeper of the visiting team was sent off after he confronted a fan who allegedly racially insulted him.

Rayo goalkeeper Cheikh Sarr, who is Black, was given a red card after he approached the stands behind his net. He said Tuesday he couldn’t take the abuse, and that he had never had to go through something like that in football before.

The match between Getafe and Sevilla was stopped in the 68th when Acuña, a world champion with Argentina, was insulted by fans, including calling him a “monkey” according to the match report.

The game was restarted after spectators were warned to refrain from racist or xenophobic language.

Sánchez Flores, who coached Getafe on three occasions, said after the match that his Roma heritage was insulted.

Sevilla won 1-0.