LaLiga and Real Madrid expressed strong condemnation on Sunday following reports of racist insults directed at Barcelona players during Saturday’s match at the Santiago Bernabéu.
According to Spanish media, 17-year-old Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, who has Equatorial Guinean and Moroccan heritage, was subjected to xenophobic and racist abuse despite Barcelona’s commanding 4-0 victory, with Yamal among the goal scorers.
“LaLiga will promptly report the racist insults and gestures directed at Barcelona players to the Hate Crimes Section of the National Police Information Brigade and will inform the Coordinating Prosecutor of the Hate Crimes and Discrimination Unit of the State Attorney General’s Office,” the league stated.
“LaLiga vehemently condemns the incidents that occurred at the Santiago Bernabéu and remains committed to eradicating any form of racist behavior and hatred both inside and outside stadiums,” the statement continued.
In response, Real Madrid announced that they have initiated an investigation to identify those responsible, ensuring appropriate measures are taken. “Real Madrid strongly condemns any behavior involving racism, xenophobia, or violence in football and sport. We deeply regret the insults uttered by a few fans in one corner of the stadium last night,” the club declared.
Barcelona has not yet commented on the incident. Spain’s Minister for Migration and Inclusion, Elma Saiz Delgado, also condemned the situation, stating, “The racist insults directed at Lamine Yamal during El Clásico represent everything we will fight against from the Government. We will not allow aggressions that are intolerable in other spaces to become normalized in sports. We offer our total support to the players and to LaLiga’s complaint.”
In recent months, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga have implemented measures to combat the rise in racist abuse, including partial stadium closures. Just last week, four individuals were arrested in Spain for allegedly conducting an online hate campaign that encouraged fans to racially abuse Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. ahead of a match against Atletico Madrid.
In June, the Magistrate’s Court of Valencia issued Spain’s first conviction for racist insults in a soccer stadium.
