Sevilla have condemned “racist and xenophobic abuse” aimed at defender Marcos Acuña and coach Quique Sanchez Flores during their 1-0 LaLiga win at Getafe on Saturday.
The game was stopped in the 68th minute, with a warning issued over the stadium tannoy — following LaLiga’s anti-racism protocol — after shouts of “Acuña, monkey” were heard from the crowd, referee Javier Iglesias Villanueva said in his match report.
Sevilla manager Sanchez Flores then said in his post-match news conference that he had been called “gypsy” by a group of fans.
Sanchez Flores has coached Getafe three times, most recently from October 2021 until April 2023, saving them from relegation in the 2021-22 season.
“I’m proud, with every inch of my body, to be a gypsy,” Sanchez 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.”
Racism in Spanish football has been a topic of considerable conversation in recent months, particularly in regard to the treatment of Real Madrid‘s Vinícius Júnior, who broke down in tears ahead of Brazil‘s international friendly with Spain when asked about the issue.