October 27, (THEWILL) – Barcelona forward, Lamine Yamal, became the target of discriminatory behaviour during Saturday’s match at Santiago Bernabeu, prompting swift responses from Spanish football authorities and government officials. The 17-year-old player, who scored in Barcelona’s 4-0 victory over Real Madrid, reportedly received xenophobic and racist abuse during the encounter.
The Spanish Supreme Sports Council has scheduled an urgent meeting for Monday, to address the incident. The State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sports, comprising multiple governmental and sporting bodies, will examine the case in detail. La Liga announced immediate reporting procedures to both the National Police Information Brigade’s Hate Crimes Section and the State Attorney General’s Office.
Real Madrid issued a statement condemning the behaviour, initiating an investigation to identify those responsible. “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.
Spain’s Minister for Migration and Inclusion, Elma Saiz, reinforced the government’s position, stating: “We will not allow aggressions that we do not tolerate in other spaces to become normalised in sports.” This incident follows recent measures by La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation to combat discriminatory behaviour through sanctions including partial stadium closures.
The situation emerges amid broader efforts to address discrimination in Spanish football. Earlier this week, authorities arrested four individuals for orchestrating an online hate campaign targeting Real Madrid forward, Vinicius Jr. These developments follow a landmark ruling in June when Valencia’s Magistrate’s Court delivered Spain’s first conviction for racist behaviour in a football stadium.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
