Rayo Majadahonda refused to finish the match after Cheikh Kane Sarr confronted fans who allegedly racially insulted him.
A third division match in Spain was marred by racist chants and insults aimed at Rayo Majadahonda goalkeeper Cheikh Kane Sarr at the Sestao River near Bilbao. It came on the day La Liga club Sevilla complained about insults directed at their coach Qique Sanchez Flores and player Marcos Acuna by Getafe fans.
Rayo Majadahonda refused to finish the match after Sarr confronted fans who allegedly racially insulted him. The Senegalese goalkeeper was sent off in the 84th minute after protesting against a supporter behind his goal.
His team decided not to continue playing after the 23-year-old was sent off and eventually left the match, with the match suspended.
A few hours earlier, Sevilla had condemned “the racist and xenophobic abuses” targeting Sanchez Flores and defender Acuna.
The incidents come days after Spain played Brazil in a friendly match organized to combat racism, following numerous cases of abuse targeting Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. in recent seasons.
This weekend, ni siquiera jugaré. But we have three deplorable cases of racism in Spain alone this Saturday.
All my apoyo in Acuña @AcunaMarcos17 and entrepreneur Quique Flores, from @SevillaFC . A Sarr y al @RMajadahonda that her valentía inspires a los demás. The racists…
– Vini Jr. (@vinijr) March 30, 2024
“Just this Saturday we had three despicable cases of racism in Spain,” Vinicius wrote on X, offering his support to Acuna and Sanchez Flores.
“To Sarr and Rayo Majadahonda, may your courage inspire others, the racists must be denounced and the matches cannot continue with them in the stands,” added the Madrid striker.
“We will only have victory when the racists leave the stadiums and go straight to prison, a place they deserve.”
Vinicius notably suffered racist abuse at Valencia in May last season and received worldwide support after confronting a fan in the stands, as Sarr did at Sestao.
ℹ️Nuestro equipo no saldrá de nuevo a reanudar el encuentro tras recibir inadmissible racist insults to our judge.
We condemn all types of racist insults in sport.
– CF Rayo Majadahonda 🤍⚡️💙 (@RMajadahonda) March 30, 2024
“Our team will not come out to resume the game after our player received unacceptable racist insults,” wrote Rayo Majadahonda, Sarr’s team, on X.
“It’s an absolute shame what happened today… part of the stadium spewing racist insults against our teammate Cheikh Sarr, because of the color of his skin,” their captain Jorge Casado said on Instagram.
“Also, the RFEF (Spanish football federation) is trying to force us to go out and finish the match.
“How shameful, it seems crazy that it’s 2024 and we have brainless people running amok in stadiums – we are all Sheikh, no to racism.”
🔴Expelled from the bearer of @RMajadahondaSarr, agarrar de la bufanda a un aficionado del @SestaoRC
The party is suspended. pic.twitter.com/i0vLlQioQC
– GRADA B pro (@GradaBpro) March 30, 2024
The Spanish federation said its competition committee would decide matters arising from the incident.
“The match was suspended after an incident between supporters… and Cheikh Sarr… who reported having received racist insults without any member of the refereeing team, given their position on the pitch, being able to hear them,” the Spanish federation said in a statement. .
“Francisco García Riesgo, the referee, suspended the match when the players of the visiting team decided to leave the field due to the aforementioned events, without the referee being able to put into practice the anti-racist protocol since the Madrid team refused to continue playing.”
Rayo Majadahonda, trailing 1-2 at the time, had already been reduced to 10 men earlier in the half before Sarr was subsequently sent off.
It was the second match marred by alleged racism on the day, following two incidents during Sevilla’s 1-0 win at Getafe.
Referee Javier Iglesias Villanueva wrote in his report that home fans shouted “Acuna monkey” and “Acuna, you come from the monkeys” at the Argentina international, leading the official to briefly suspend the match.
Today, part of the Getafe community criticized the racist hymns against the entrepreneur Quique Sánchez Flores del Sevilla: “Orgulloso de echa poro de mis venas que me pueda breather como gitano”. pic.twitter.com/LKTKOo8Uen
– Fonsi Loaiza (@FonsiLoaiza) March 30, 2024
Sevilla coach Quique Sanchez Flores said he was called a ‘gypsy’ by some local fans and was proud of his past but opposed it being used like abuse.
“I’m proud of every pore in my veins that can breathe ‘gypsy,’” the coach said.
“It’s one thing to be gypsy or partially gypsy, and another to use it as a racist slur – I find it abhorrent.”
