MADRID: Valencia will appeal the partial closure of their stadium following the racial abuse directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior in a Spanish league match, saying the punishment is “unfair and disproportionate.”
Spanish soccer’s competition committee late Tuesday fined Valencia in 45,000 euros ($48,500) and closed one of the sections of Mestalla Stadium for five games in what is the strongest ever punishment for a club in a case of racism in Spain.
The punishment was part of a strong response by soccer officials and Spanish authorities following an outpouring of support for Vinícius after he was targeted by Valencia fans on Sunday.
Vinícius, who is Black, has been subjected to repeated racial insults since he arrived to play in Spain five years ago. The 22-year-old Brazil forward heavily criticized Spain and its lack of action against racism after the latest incident against him.
“Valencia wants to express their complete disagreement and indignation over the unfair and disproportionate penalty imposed by the competition committee,” the club said in a statement early Wednesday. “Valencia want to publicly denounce that the evidence shown by the committee contradicts what the police and La Liga say. This sanction is based on evidence that the club have not been able to see.”
Valencia also complained that they were not given a chance to defend themselves before the ruling was made. The club said they have been cooperating with police from the start and have acted strongly to condemn what happened at their stadium.
Valencia said not long after the game they would work with authorities to identify those responsible for the abuse, and a day later they banned one person for life for being involved in the incident against Vinícius.
With the club’s cooperation, police arrested three people on suspicion of a hate crime for their allege abuse against the Brazilian on Sunday, with all being banned for life from the stadium. The club said that was the maximum punishment they could impose.
“To punish fans who were not involved in these lamentable incidents is a measure completely disproportionate, unfair and unprecedented,” Valencia said. “We will fight against it until the end.”
The three people spoke to police and were set free as the investigation against them continues. Four other people were detained in Madrid after being accused of hanging an effigy of Vinícius off a highway bridge in January.
Fans have been fined and banned before for attacks on Vinícius, but so far no one in Spain has ever gone to trial on criminal charges for racially abusing a player.
Spain created a specific law against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sports in 2007, and since then an anti-violence commission composed of several entities has been in charge of monitoring and denouncing cases that may break the law.
But the current legislation stipulates that not all cases of racism can be punished criminally, only those in which there is an extra element affecting the victim. Most cases, including many similar to the ones involving the fans in Valencia, end up falling into a category in which punishment only includes fines and bans from stadiums.
Valencia, which are still fighting against relegation to the second division, have one home game left in the league this season, against Espanyol on Sunday. Espanyol are also trying to avoid demotion. Valencia are in 13th place, five points from the relegation zone.
The section of Mestalla that will be closed is where the insults against Vinícius came from, behind one of the goals. It’s also where the club’s more hardcore fans usually are located.
The committee late Tuesday also rescinded the red card shown to Vinícius after an altercation with Valencia players late in the game, saying video review did not show the referee images of the full altercation, including the part in which the Brazilian was grabbed from behind by an opponent.
The highly unusual decision drew surprise by many.
“Acts of racism and insults must be censored, but what happens on the field is different,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said. “It’s clear that there was an aggression (by Vinícius) and I am surprised that they took away the red card. One thing has nothing to do with the other.”
Late Tuesday, about 100 Brazilian protesters gathered outside the Spanish consulate in Sao Paulo to condemn the racist abuse against Vinícius. The protesters chanted “La Liga is racist” and “end with racism in Spain and in Brazil” for about an hour.
Valencia slam ‘disproportionate’ punishment after racial abuse against Vinícius Júnior
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Valencia slam ‘disproportionate’ punishment after racial abuse against Vinícius Júnior
- Spanish soccer’s competition committee late Tuesday fined Valencia in 45,000 euros and closed one of the sections of Mestalla Stadium for five games
- Vinícius, who is Black, has been subjected to repeated racial insults since he arrived to play in Spain five years ago
Arsenal, Man City win to keep it tight at the top in race for league title
Arsenal survived a late scare at Tottenham to stay narrowly ahead in the race for the Premier League title on Sunday.
A 3-2 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ensured Mikel Arteta’s team remained at the top of the standings, ahead of defending champion Manchester City, which won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.
But Arsenal had to endure a nervous finish despite powering to 3-0 lead in a London derby that was supposed to be one of its biggest tests in the title chase.
“The last 20 minutes wasn’t nice, but it was worth it,” Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka said afterward. “We know it is a big derby and they don’t want to lose 3-0 at home. Momentum shifted their way, but I am proud of the boys — we managed to get the three points.”
An own-goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and further strikes from Saka and Kai Havertz put Arsenal into a commanding position at the break. But in the face of a potential rout, Tottenham responded in the second half through Cristian Romero and a penalty from Son Heung-min in the 87th minute.
Under pressure, Arsenal held on and remains one point clear at the top, having played a game more than City.
The advantage is still with Pep Guardiola’s team, which will clinch a fourth-straight title if it wins its remaining games this season and responded to Arsenal’s win with victory of its own at relegation-fighting Forest.
With Liverpool’s title hopes further diminishing after dropping five points in two games this week, it is down to Arsenal to challenge City’s domestic dominance.
Having collapsed late on in last season’s title race, Arteta’s players look more capable of going the distance this time around.
An away fixture against its fiercest rival, Tottenham, was a major test of its credentials at this stage of the campaign. And while Arsenal was guilty of letting Spurs back into a game that should have been killed off much earlier, victory when tension was high was a test of character.
“Maybe last season that could have ended in a draw and we showed we have the experience,” Saka said. “We know City are an amazing team, but they are not perfect, we just need to do our job.”
MAN CITY WINS
Arsenal’s win meant the pressure was on City to keep the heat on its title rival.
It was always favorite to beat a Forest team that is desperately fighting for survival but without Phil Foden, who was ill, and Erling Haaland on the bench, Guardiola was without two of its big match-winners in the starting 11.
An injury to goalkeeper Ederson also forced City into a change at halftime.
But Guardiola’s team looks to be in unstoppable form and a 2-0 win extended its unbeaten record in the league to 19 games, dating back to a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa at the start of December.
Back then there were questions about City’s ability to win a sixth title in seven years. While Arsenal may lead the way, City’s title-winning know-how could make the difference.
So could Haaland, who stepped off the bench to score the goal that effectively killed off Forest’s challenge.
Josko Gvardiol headed City in front in the first half, but Chris Wood had two clear chances from close range to score for Forest.
Haaland missed City’s last two games through injury, but was quickly back on the scoresheet with a clinically taken goal just nine minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Among those in the crowd to watch were his father, Alf-Inge, and rock star Noel Gallagher.
The goal saw Haaland move clear of Cole Palmer as the league’s top scorer with 21 goals.
“It’s an important win, it does not matter how we do it, and it is good to be back,” Haaland said. “We knew it was going to be a fight, and the pitch was not the easiest to play on but we cannot complain, it is about winning and that is exactly what we did.”
BOURNEMOUTH RECORD
Without a win in its first nine league games this season, Bournemouth is now in the top half of the table and has set its own Premier League points record.
A 3-0 win against Brighton moved Andoni Iraola’s team up to 10th and on 48 points. Bournemouth’s previous best in the top flight was 46 points in the 2016-17 season under former manager Eddie Howe.
Goals from Marcos Senesi, Enes Unal and Justin Kluivert secured victory against a Brighton team that is going in the other direction after six games without a win.
Morocco, Algeria dispute over shirts leads to second cancelation
- Before kick-off on Sunday, Renaissance supporters held up a banner with a map of Morocco showing the disputed territory. Many fans waved Moroccan flags
- The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara is largely controlled by Morocco but claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks the territory’s independence
BERKANE, Morocco: For the second straight week, an African Confederation Cup match between Renaissance Berkane and Algerian side USM Alger was canceled in a dispute over a map on the Moroccan team’s shirts.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded Berkane a 3-0 victory in the first leg of their semifinal, canceled last Sunday when the Moroccan club refused to take the field after Algerian officials confiscated their shirts.
On Sunday in Berkane, only the home players took the field and they saluted their fans as the stadium announcer told the crowd the match had been canceled.
Moroccan television reported that the USM team left the stadium just before the scheduled 1900 GMT kickoff.
The row began when the Moroccan squad arrived in Algeria last week ahead of the first-leg tie.
Customs officers confiscated Berkane’s shirts on the grounds that they carried a map of Morocco that included the disputed Western Sahara.
Shortly before the first leg kick-off, USM Alger sporting director Toufik Korichi told Algerian radio that the match would not be played because Berkane refused to take to the pitch in any other shirts
The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara is largely controlled by Morocco but claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks the territory’s independence.
Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, partly over the issue.
Before kick-off on Sunday, Renaissance supporters held up a banner with a map of Morocco showing the disputed territory. Many fans waved Moroccan flags.
On Saturday, business was brisk in the official shop selling Berkane shirts.
“There’s a huge demand,” said Soufiane Al Korchi, a representative of the official distributor of the Moroccan team shirt, adding that the “map has been part of the official design for three years.”
The Algerian football federation has lodged an appeal against the CAF sanction with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, arguing that the Cairo-based body had “validated the request of the Moroccan club, RS Berkane, to wear a shirt with a political message.”
Paris Saint-Germain win Ligue 1 title after Monaco defeat
- Monaco’s defeat gave PSG an unassailable 12-point lead at the top
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain were confirmed as Ligue 1 champions on Sunday without playing after closest challengers Monaco lost 3-2 away to Lyon.
Monaco’s defeat gave PSG an unassailable 12-point lead at the top of the table with three games remaining and means they are champions for a French record-extending 12th time.
PSG could have clinched the title on Saturday with a win at home to struggling Le Havre, but in the end they needed a 95th-minute equalizer to snatch a 3-3 draw.
However, after that game coach Luis Enrique insisted his side had won the league “without any doubt,” as they were 12 points clear with only 12 points left to play for, and also boast a far superior goal difference to that of Monaco.
The principality club’s loss in Lyon nevertheless makes PSG’s coronation official, and sets them up for Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal first leg away to Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Monaco had taken the lead inside the opening minute in Lyon thanks to a Wissam Ben Yedder goal, but Alexandre Lacazette equalized for the hosts and Said Benrahma put them ahead before the half-hour mark.
Ben Yedder struck again to bring it back to 2-2, only for substitute Malick Fofana to net a late winner for Lyon, who are still hoping to qualify for Europe.
PSG have won 10 of their 12 titles in the last 12 seasons, a record which goes to show how the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011 has utterly transformed them and the face of French football as a whole.
They are on course for a clean sweep of trophies this season, with the French Cup final against Lyon to come on May 25 and the French Champions Trophy already in the bag.
Luis Enrique’s side are also hoping to see off Dortmund and win through to the final of the Champions League on June 1.
Last-gasp goal stretches Leverkusen unbeaten streak
- The strike keeps Leverkusen’s remarkable streak of late goals alive
- Alonso’s side have now won or equalized in stoppage time 10 times this season in all competitions
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Robert Andrich scored with the last kick of the match to extend Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run to 46 games this season with a 2-2 home draw against Stuttgart on Saturday.
With Bundesliga champions Leverkusen facing their first loss of the season in any competition trailing 2-1 late in stoppage time, Andrich hammered in a loose ball to equalize in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The strike keeps Leverkusen’s remarkable streak of late goals alive, with Xabi Alonso’s side doing the same at Borussia Dortmund in the seventh minute of injury time for a 1-1 draw last week.
Two goals in the space of nine minutes to start the second half from Chris Fuehrich and Deniz Undav put Stuttgart on course, with Amine Adli pulling one back after 61 minutes.
Leverkusen built pressure but could not break through, putting their hopes of becoming the first team to go a full Bundesliga season without defeat in doubt.
However, with time running out, they won a free kick and Florian Wirtz curled the ball into the box, Andrich snapping up a rebound to score.
Alonso’s side have now won or equalized in stoppage time 10 times this season in all competitions.
Kane hits double in Bayern win as Leipzig tighten grip on fourth
- Kane scored in each half, finishing off a tearing Konrad Laimer run and converting a penalty, to raise his league tally to 35 goals in 31 games
- Kane is now six goals shy of Robert Lewandowski’s all-time single-season Bundesliga goals record
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday to set a new personal record for goals in a season as RB Leipzig tightened their grip on fourth spot with a home victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Kane scored in each half, finishing off a tearing Konrad Laimer run and converting a penalty, to raise his league tally to 35 goals in 31 games.
Kane is now six goals shy of Robert Lewandowski’s all-time single-season Bundesliga goals record and has hit a personal best of 42 goals in all competitions this campaign.
The England captain’s goals came either side of a Hugo Ekitike stunner, a day after the Frenchman became a permanent Frankfurt player.
Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller said his side was “in a good flow,” saying since getting past Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals “we’ve been getting better, we’ve got a grip on things.”
Before the match, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel hit back at claims from the club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness that the manager wanted to buy rather than develop players, saying the “absolutely baseless” allegation “could not be further from reality.”
Despite the victory, which solidified Bayern’s chances of a second-placed finish, both Laimer and defender Matthijs de Ligt were subbed off with injury just days before Tuesday’s home Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid.
Dortmund, Germany’s other Champions League semifinalist, had a setback ahead of hosting Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, being thoroughly outclassed in a 4-1 defeat at Leipzig.
The undermanned visitors, missing captain Emre Can, Donyell Malen, Ian Maatsen and Sebastien Haller, dominated early, hitting the lead after 20 minutes through Jadon Sancho.
The England winger curled an excellent shot from the edge of the box into the top right corner to give Dortmund the lead.
Jolted to life, Leipzig equalized almost immediately, Lois Openda turning in a superb Xavi Simons cross for his 24th goal of the season.
Originally called offside, the goal was awarded after a VAR review and the video referee intervened again shortly after, overturning a penalty for Leipzig.
Leipzig then scored two quick-fire goals either side of half-time. Benjamin Sesko pounced on a rebound just before the break and Openda found Mohamed Simakan early in the second.
Christoph Baumgartner added a fourth with 10 minutes remaining to send Leipzig five points clear of Dortmund in fourth, the final guaranteed Champions League spot.
Dortmund goalie Gregor Kobel said “like so often this season, we gifted the opponent too many goals.”
With three teams in the semifinals of the top two European competitions, Germany may however snare a fifth Champions League spot.
Werder Bremen guaranteed first division football next season, winning 3-0 away at Augsburg to go 10 points clear of the drop with three games to play.
Goals from Romano Schmid and Olivier Deman and a Marvin Ducksch penalty took Bremen to a second-straight win for the first time since February.
Wolfsburg also took a major step toward securing top-flight football, scoring two goals in the final minutes to come from behind and beat a 10-man Freiburg 2-1.
In Saturday’s late game, Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will try and keep their unbeaten record alive this season when they host third-placed Stuttgart.
No team in Bundesliga history has ever gone through a season unbeaten.
