MADRID: Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde complained of racist abuse aimed at him from Getafe supporters in a 1-1 draw in La Liga on Saturday.
After Hansi Flick’s side were dealt another set-back in the title race at Getafe’s Coliseum stadium Balde reported the abuse in a post-match interview.
“I received various racist insults from some fans today, and I think that’s something I should say here. I think it’s something that should not keep happening,” Balde told Movistar.
The defender said he informed the referee during the game, who activated Spain’s racism protocol — leading to a public announcement to supporters in the stadium to desist.
Flick said those shouting racist abuse should not come to matches.
“There’s no space for this in football or in life, this is unbelievable, in the time (we live in now) it’s totally wrong,” Flick told reporters.
“They have to stay at home. Not go to the match, they have to stay at home.
“I think we have to fight against them, it’s the best thing, and the people around them can also do something... I think everyone can do it.”
Earlier Saturday, in Spain’s second division, Elche player Bambo Diaby also faced racist abuse in a 1-1 draw at Sporting Gijon.
There have been numerous instances of racism in Spanish football stadiums in recent years, with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior often targeted for abuse.
In November three fans were arrested after racist abuse was aimed at Balde and his Barcelona team-mate Lamine Yamal in the Clasico against Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s Balde complains of racist abuse in Getafe draw
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Barcelona’s Balde complains of racist abuse in Getafe draw
- Earlier Saturday, in Spain’s second division, Elche player Bambo Diaby also faced racist abuse in a 1-1 draw at Sporting Gijon
Hosts Morocco off to winning start at Africa Cup of Nations
- Soufiane Rahimi had a penalty saved in a frustrating first half for much-fancied Morocco
- Win saw Morocco, Africa’s best team in FIFA rankings in 11th place, to extend world-record winning run to 19 consecutive matches
RABAT: Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El-Kaabi scored second-half goals as hosts Morocco got their Africa Cup of Nations bid off to a winning start by beating minnows Comoros 2-0 in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday.
Soufiane Rahimi had a penalty saved in a frustrating first half for much-fancied Morocco, but Diaz fired home from inside the area 10 minutes after the interval at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital Rabat.
Substitute El-Kaabi then got the second with a stunning overhead kick, and the victory on a wet and cold night sets the Atlas Lions up for the potentially tougher tests to come in Group A against Mali and Zambia.
The result also allowed Morocco, Africa’s best team in the FIFA rankings in 11th place, to extend their world-record winning run to 19 consecutive matches.
The game was played out before a crowd of 60,180, with Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay Hassan — who appeared on the pitch ahead of kick-off — and FIFA president Gianni Infantino among those in attendance.
Morocco’s star man and captain Achraf Hakimi also ended up watching the entire game from the bench, with coach Walid Regragui preserving the Paris Saint-Germain full-back who has not played since suffering an ankle injury with his club at the start of November.
It looked set to be a long night for Comoros when Morocco won a penalty in the 10th minute as playmaker Diaz was tripped inside the box by Iyad Mohamed.
But Rahimi’s spot-kick was kept out by the legs of Yannick Pandor as the Comoros goalkeeper dived to his right, and the visitors then succeeded in thwarting their more illustrious hosts for the remainder of the first half.
- Stunning overhead kick -
However Morocco, who also saw veteran center-back Romain Saiss come off injured early on, succeeded in breaking down their opponents after half-time.
Comoros, the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago who are 108th in the world rankings, had their resistance ended as the opening goal arrived on 55 minutes.
Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui, starting at right-back with Hakimi not yet quite fully fit, picked up the ball on the right side of the penalty area and squared for Real Madrid’s Spanish-born number 10 Diaz to score.
Morocco, who had seen Neil El Aynaoui almost break the deadlock just before that, then saw space open up although Comoros had a chance of their own as Rafiki Said was denied when clean through on goal.
Mazraoui forced a good save from Pandor before El-Kaabi, of Greek giants Olympiakos, lit up the occasion by meeting a cross in from the left by Anass Salah-Eddine with a magnificent overhead bicycle kick to make it 2-0.
Morocco’s next game will be on Friday against Mali, who begin their campaign by taking on Zambia in Casablanca on Monday.
Elsewhere on Monday, South Africa face Angola in Marrakech before Mohamed Salah’s Egypt — the record seven-time African champions chasing a first title since 2010 — get their bid up and running against outsiders Zimbabwe in Agadir in Group B.
This latest edition of the Cup of Nations is the first to start in one year and end in another, with the final to take place in Rabat on January 18.
