Vinicius adds his voice after third tier game in Spain suspended due to racist insults from fans

Spanish football was once agin tarnished by an ugly episode of racism as third tier side Rayo Majadahonda made a stand and refused to complete their away game against Sestao River.

The Madrid based team were playing at Campo Municipal de Fútbol de Las Llanas and as the clock ticked down towards the end of the contest, Majadahonda goalkeeper Cheikh Sarr confronted a group of the home fans who had insulted him with the keeper then being sent off by the match official. The Rayo Majadahonda team decided, as an act of solidarity with their teammate not to continue the game, which in turn forced the referee to suspend the clash.

“Our team will not resume the match after receiving unacceptable racist insults towards our player. We condemn all types of racist insults in sport,” Rayo Majadahonda stated on X shortly after the incident.

The incident occured in the 84th minute of the 1A RFEF game (third tier of Spanish football) with several Sestao fans behind the visiting goal shouting racist chants at Sarr, the Senegalese goalkeeper. Faced with this verbal aggression, the goalkeeper responded by jumping over the perimeter fence and confronted several of the perpetrators with his actions receiving a straight red card form the referee.

Francisco García Riesgo later claimed in his official match report that he was informed in the 84th minute by Sarr that he’d been called ‘a fucking monkey’ and a ‘black piece of shit’. The official added that neither he or any members of his official team heard the insults.

The rest of the Rayo Majadahonda team decided to support their teammate and refused to continue playing with left-back Jorge Casado later posting a message saying: “It’s an absolute disgrace what happened to our goalkeeper Cheikh Sarr today who was getting abused due to his colour of skin. I feel ashamed, it’s 2024 and we have headcases who can say what they like in our stadiums and get away with it. We are all Cheikh, no to racism”.

Vinicius Jr speaks out on Saturday’s incidents

Late on Saturday night, Real Madrid and Brazil striker took to his social media platforms to add his support for Sarr and Marcos Acuña and Quique Sanchez Flores who were earlier subject to racist and discriminatory taunts at the Getafe-Sevilla game.

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@The Brazilian stated: “This weekend, I won’t be playing but we have had three despicable cases of racism in Spain this Saturday alone. All my support for Acuña @AcunaMarcos17 and coach Quique Flores, from @SevillaFC

To Sarr and @RMajadahonda may your bravery inspire others. Racists must be exposed and the games cannot continue with them in the stands. We will only have victory when the racists leave the stadiums straight to jail, a place they deserve”.