KYLIAN MBAPPÉ CONDEMNS 'DESPICABLE' PARAGUAYAN SENATOR OVER VILE RACIST RANT AFTER FRANCE WORLD CUP CLASH

 

France edged out Paraguay to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals (Picture: Getty)

Kylian Mbappe has hit back after Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla targeted him with a sickening racist attack on social media following France’s 1-0 win at the World Cup.

Mbappe’s 70th-minute penalty proved decisive in Saturday’s bad-tempered last-16 clash between Les Bleus, the two-time winners, and one of the surprise packages of this summer’s tournament in Paraguay.

Paraguay’s physical approach drew widespread criticism from fans and pundits alike, with ex-England goalkeeper Joe Hart branding the side’s ugly tactics and gamesmanship an ‘absolute disgrace’.

Before a ball had even been kicked, Paraguayan legend Jose Luis Chilabert had caused uproar with some vile remarks in his homeland, in which he claimed his country were essentially facing an ‘African team’ in Philadelphia.

The unsavoury war of words did not cease once France had safely secured their spot in the quarter-finals, and just days after Chilavert’s outburst, it was Amarilla who made headlines for all the wrong reasons with a shocking rant on X, formerly Twitter.

Reacting to a photograph of Mbappe supposedly celebrating in the face of Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, Amarilla, of Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, wrote: ‘The brute didn’t even learn to write.

‘Instead of mother’s milk, he sucked on coconuts, and the most educated thing he heard were chimpanzees.

Amarilla suggested Mbappe had been raised by ‘chimpanzees’ in a vile social media outburst (Picture: Getty)

Mbappe is the joint-leading goalscorer at the tournament (Picture: Getty

‘You should’ve shown him the finger, Orlando Gill; I do it in the senate and nothing happens!!!’

Twenty-four hours on from Amarilla’s despicable rant, a defiant Mbappe issued his response, in which he claimed the politician had overshadowed Paraguay’s achievements at the World Cup with her ‘brazen racism’.

‘Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position,’ Mbappe wrote on X.

‘You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honour throughout the competition.

Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country.

‘I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.

It comes after the French Football Federation released a statement condemning Chilavert’s pre-match remarks, with the former Paraguay goalkeeper labelled a ‘disgrace’.

‘I condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by Jose Luis Chilavert against the French national team, which undermine the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football,’ FFF president Philippe Diallo said.

‘If he was once a great goalkeeper, this man has now fallen into disgrace.’

France – the 2022 runners-up – will resume their campaign versus Morocco at 9pm BST on Thursday, with a match against one of Portugal, Spain, Belgium and the USA awaiting the victor.

Mbappe is the joint-top scorer at this summer’s tournament alongside Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi, having scored seven goals in his five appearances for Les Bleus.

- Tom Olver

JÜRGEN KLOPP' STORMS OUT OF INTERVIEW AS LIVERPOOL LEGEND REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

Jurgen Klopp stormed out of an interview after the Liverpool legend refused to answer a question following controversy regarding one of his fellow World Cup pundits

Jurgen Klopp stormed out of an interview(Image: DW Sports)

Ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp abruptly ended an interview when questioned about the racism row involving Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The World Cup champion has been accused of making racist comments while analysing Germany's victory over the Ivory Coast. The former Manchester United and Bayern Munich star works for German broadcaster ARD.

Schweinsteiger, 41, has faced criticism for his depiction of the Ivory Coast's playing style. While evaluating the west African team, he referred to their football as "African football" before characterising it as being "a bit unorthodox sometimes, a bit wild, not quite as tactical."

Bastian Schweinsteiger has been accused of making racially insensitive comments(Image: Getty Images)

He also suggested that Julian Nagelsmann's squad must be "prepared for it to be unpredictable at times" prior to their 2-1 win. The ex-midfielder's comments have sparked backlash and become a significant talking point in Germany.

So much so that Klopp, who is currently working as a pundit for Magenta TV in the US, was pressed by another journalist to comment on the controversy. When confronted, he promptly cut off the interview and walked away.

In conversation with DW Sports, the former Liverpool boss said: "And now you want to carry on this subject. No, no, I have no chance, I have no chance to answer this question.

"Everybody likes it, so you bring me into this situation. It's not my job that everybody likes it, but this is a serious subject. I don't even know what is appropriate to say.

"For African people it's one thing, for other people it's another thing, and I'm not here. Thank god I thought nobody asked me about that. You found a moment and surprisingly you are German. That surprised me so much. Thank you very much."

Klopp then walked away from the gathered journalists, many of whom were heard calling out "no, no" as he departed.

Phillip Awounou, a sports journalist and author from Germany, slammed Schweinsteiger's comments in a recent article. Penning his column for Spiegel news magazine, he wrote: "Behind attributions like 'wild' and 'unpredictable' are stereotypes which are older than football and which have racist, colonial roots.

"In the past, Black people of African heritage were stigmatised as uncivilised ('wild'), different ('unorthodox') and potentially dangerous ('unpredictable').

"These are racist stereotypes," sports content creator Patrick Schnitzler told his 50,000 Instagram followers, referencing recent academic research which has demonstrated that commentators and supporters are more likely to emphasise Black footballers' physical attributes than those of non-Black players.

"We learn such stereotypes because we have grown up in a society with stereotypes. Schweinsteiger, too. You and me, too."

Awounou did make clear that he does not consider Schweinsteiger to be a racist, explaining: "That's simply wrong. Regardless of his problematic remarks, Schweinsteiger is absolutely not a racist and shouldn't be labelled as such."

After the match, Schweinsteiger took to social media, stating: "Ivory Coast were the difficult opponent we expected and showed their technical quality and physicality," shortly after Germany clinched a thrilling 2-1 victory.

- Cameron Winstanley and Cameron Winstanley

SECOND ARREST MADE IN JESS CARTER RACIST ABUSE INVESTIGATION

A 30-year-old man from Ripley was arrested on suspicion of malicious communication

England's Jess Carter received racist abuse online during the Women's Euros this summer (The FA via Getty Images)

A second man has been arrested by police investigating online racist abuse sent to England defender Jess Carter during the Women's Euros.

Derbyshire Constabulary arrested a 30-year-old man from Ripley on suspicion of malicious communications in relation to the abuse towards Carter.

The man has been released on bail.

It followed the arrest of a 59-year-old man from Great Harwood by Lancashire Police on August 28, also on suspicion of malicious communication in relation to some of the messages.

Both arrests stem from an investigation launched in July by the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) and social media companies.

Cheshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chief Council (NPCC) lead for football policing, said: "Nobody should be subjected to such disgusting abuse, and we want to make it clear that racist abuse of this nature will not be tolerated.

"Everyone is responsible for what they do and say, and we want to ensure offenders cannot hide behind a social media profile to post vile comments."

Sergeant Gemma Thursfield from Derbyshire Constabulary said: "Abuse online is no different to being in person and people need to be clear that the posts they make, or messages they send, on social media are just the same as making them in person.

Second arrest made in Jess Carter racist abuse investigation
Carter was a key player in England's European Championship win despite receiving abuse throughout the tournament

"The impact on Jess, and other victims of this crime, are clear to see and we will work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice."

Carter revealed in July she had been the target of "a lot of abuse" during the tournament.

Carter told ITV News last month that the psychological impact of the abuse she suffered made her feel "scared" when England head coach Sarina Wiegman told her she had been selected to play in the Euro final, which England won on penalties against Spain to retain the title.

"That's the first time I've ever been scared; too scared to play," she said.

"I think it was a mixture of such a big game but then on top of that, (I was) scared of whatever abuse might come with it, whether it's football-based or whether it was going to be the racial abuse that was going to come with it because I did something wrong.

"(The abuse) makes you feel really small. It makes you feel like you're not important, that you're not valuable.

"It makes you second guess everything that you do - it's not a nice place to be. It doesn't make me feel confident going back onto the pitch. My family was so devastated by it as well and so sad."

- Jamie Gardner

PREMIER LEAGUE OPENER HALTED AFTER ANTOINE SEMENYO REPORTS RACIAL ABUSE

Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo celebrates scoring his second goal of the season's opening Premier League game. Pic: PA

A man was ejected from Anfield after reports of racial abuse directed at Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo during the season's opening Premier League game against Liverpool.

Match referee Anthony Taylor paused play in the 29th minute after Semenyo accused a spectator of racist abuse.

An anti-discrimination message was read out to the Anfield crowd, and it is understood that police officers went into the referee's room at half-time.

Merseyside Police said an investigation is under way after the 47-year-old man's identity was confirmed and he was removed from the ground.

Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, the match commander for the Liverpool v Bournemouth game, said: "Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form.

"We take incidents like this very seriously, and in cases like this we will be proactively seeking football banning orders, with the club, against those responsible."

He added: "There is no place for racism and it is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards, or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action like we did this evening.

"As with all matches, we work very closely with both Liverpool and Everton FC to ensure the safety of the public, and the players."

A spokesperson for Liverpool said the club was "aware of an allegation of racist abuse made during our Premier League game against Bournemouth".

Semenyo with his teammates during the match. Pic: PA

The Liverpool spokesperson said: "We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, it has no place in society, or football.

"The club is unable to comment further as tonight's alleged is incident is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, which we will support fully."

After the incident, Semenyo scored twice in the second half to help bring Bournemouth back from two goals down at Anfield before Liverpool went on to eventually win the contest 4-2.

Bournemouth captain Adam Smith told Sky Sports News afterwards: "It shouldn't be happening. I don't know how Ant's played on to be honest and come up with those goals. It's totally unacceptable.

"Something needs to be done. Taking the knee isn't having an effect. We're supporting him and hopefully he'll be OK.

"I wanted him to react because that's what I would have done, but this shows what type of man he is...to come up with those goals showed the type of guy he is.

"To be fair the Liverpool players were very supportive as well towards Antoine and the rest of the team. It was handled in the right way but... so angry.

"I don't know what else we can do. No one's getting it. I don't know what to say anymore. I just feel for Ant... shocking."

The Premier League said in a statement that its "on-field anti-discrimination protocol" had been followed and the incident "will now be fully investigated".

"We offer our full support to the player and both clubs," it added. "Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all."

The Football Association said it was "concerned" about the allegation of racism towards Semenyo and that it would ensure "appropriate action" would be taken.

The incident comes two days after Tottenham Hotspur player Mathys Tel faced racist abuse online following a missed penalty in his team's UEFA Super Cup victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

- Sky News

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR CONDEMN RACIST ABUSE AGAINST MATHYS TEL AFTER UEFA SUPER CUP

Mathys Tel, who joined the team on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich in the offseason after a loan spell last season, hit his shootout penalty wide.

Tottenham Hotspur have slammed the "cowards" who racially abused Mathys Tel.© X (Twitter

Tottenham Hotspur have slammed the "cowards" who racially abused French forward Mathys Tel after the team's loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup after a penalty shootout. The 20-year-old Tel, who is Black, was one of two Tottenham players who failed to convert their penalties as they lost the shootout 4-3 to PSG after a 2-2 draw. “We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night's UEFA Super Cup defeat," Tottenham said in a statement.

"Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards — hiding behind anonymous user names and profiles to spout their abhorrent views."

Tottenham said the club will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take “the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify.”

"We stand with you, Mathys,” Spurs added.

Tel, who joined the team on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich in the offseason after a loan spell last season, went on as a substitute in the 79th minute when Tottenham was 2-0 ahead.

He hit his shootout penalty wide.

- Associated Press

JOSÉ MOURINHO ROW WITH TURKISH FA EXPLAINED AMID RACISM ALLEGATIONS AND STRONG DROGBA STATEMENT

Galatasaray have accused Jose Mourinho of racism (Image: Getty Images)

Former Chelsea forward Didier Drogba has defended Jose Mourinho after Galatasaray accused the Fenerbahce head coach of making "racist statements" against Turkish people.

Galatasaray said they intended to launch criminal proceedings against Mourinho and would also submit complaints to governing bodies UEFA and FIFA over the "derogatory" remarks, which they say were made in the aftermath of Monday's feisty 0-0 draw against Fenerbahce in Istanbul.

What was said?

In his post-match press conference, ex-Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mourinho said that the Galatasaray bench were "jumping around like monkeys" following an early tackle.

The 62-year-old also lauded the decision to bring in Slovenian Slavko Vincic to officiate the game and claimed it would have been a disaster if the match would have been refereed by a Turkish official.

Vincic, who refereed last season's Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, was drafted in by the Turkish football federation after recent controversies involving Turkish referees.

A statement from Galatasaray read: "Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people. Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric.

"We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.

"Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahce - an institution professing to uphold 'exemplary moral values' - in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager."

The statement was posted on the Galatasaray club website under the headline: "Say no to racism."

Didier Drogba statement

Less than 48 hours since the controversy struck, Drogba, who worked with Mourinho during their time at Chelsea, has jumped the defence of his former manager and claimed he is not racist.

In a passionate statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Drogba said: "Dear @GalatasaraySK. You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!! We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I've been lucky enough to experience it.

"I've seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent) is there to prove it. Let's focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let's win the league to get close to our 5 [star emoji].

"How can my "Dad" be a racist [man tipping two hands emoji]. Come on guys [red and yellow love heart emoji, and three star emoji]."

- Kieran King

FENERBAHCE ISSUE STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO JOSE MOURINHO 'RACIST COMMENTS'

Jose Mourinho has been accused of making ‘racist statements’ by Galatasaray (Picture: Getty)

Fenerbahce have issued a strong statement in response to accusations that Jose Mourinho made ‘racist statements’ following Monday’s 0-0 draw against Galatasaray.

Galatasaray said the club planned to launch criminal proceedings against the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager after it was claimed he made ‘derogatory statements’ about Turkish people.

The Turkish league leaders also confirmed their intention to submit complaints to governing bodies UEFA and FIFA after the comments made by Mourinho in the aftermath of last night’s stalemate.

Fenerbahce, who Mourinho joined in the summer, have come out fighting and issues a passionate defence of the 62-year-old.

A statement read: ‘A statement made by our Technical Director Jose Mourinho after the match was completely taken out of context and an attempt was made to deliberately distort it.

‘As every sensible person can see and understand; these statements used by Jose Mourinho to describe the excessive reaction of the opposing team’s technical staff to the referee decisions during the match can in no way be associated with racism.

‘Trying to portray this statement as racist is a completely malicious approach. We would like to inform the public that we will use our legal rights regarding this pathetic slander that was made in order to take the competition off the field, change the agenda and manipulate it.’

Jose Mourinho’s side drew 0-0 with Galatasaray (Picture: Getty)

Mourinho had made comments about the Galatasaray bench ‘jumping like monkeys’ after an early challenge and the match being better because it was not officiated by a Turkish referee. Slovenian Slavko Vincic refereed the contest.

A statement from Galatasaray said Mourinho ‘has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people’ since taking over at Fenerbahce in June 2024.

‘Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric,’ the statement said.

‘We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.’

Describing Mourinho’s conduct as ‘reprehensible’, it said rivals Fenerbahce professed ‘to uphold ‘exemplary moral values”.

The statement was posted on the club website under the headline: ‘Say no to racism.’

Mourinho was defended by Fenerbahce vice-president Acun Ilicali, who told Sky Sports News: ‘Jose Mourinho is just describing the emotion of the bench by using the word monkey, that’s all.

‘When I say you are running like a rabbit, I don’t say that you are a rabbit. So when I say you are jumping like a monkey, it doesn’t mean you are a monkey.

‘You can clearly understand that Jose Mourinho had no intention to be racist, in the words or behind the words or around the words. That’s a very clear situation that is trying to be manipulated by Galatasaray’s board, and we are used to it in Turkey.

- James Goldman

RODRIGO BENTANCUR BANNED 7 GAMES FOR OFFENSIVE SON HEUNG-MIN REMARK

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed a seven-game ban and a £100,000 fine by the English Football Association (FA) for using abusive language and bringing the game into disrepute during a Spanish-language interview on Uruguayan television in June.

The ban applies only to English club football and not European competition, meaning he can still compete against Roma and Rangers in the Europa League. He will miss Premier League clashes with Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, as well as a Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United.

The charge by the FA stemmed from a clip posted on social media after Bentancur was interviewed on Uruguayan Television programme "Por La Camiseta." Host Rafa Cotelo asked Bentancur for a Spurs player's shirt, to which he replied, "Sonny's?" [Son Heung-Min], adding: "It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

He denied the initial FA charge, according to the statement issued on Monday, and can appeal the ruling.

The FA said: "It was further alleged that this constitutes an 'aggravated breach'... as it included a reference -- whether express or implied -- to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin."

In a news conference during the ongoing international break, Bentancur told reporters that he was braced for the punishment. As part of the decision, he also has to attend face-to-face education sessions which have to be completed by March 2025.

Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven games over the use of a racial slur. Marc Atkins/Getty Images

The Uruguay international apologised on June 20 in a post on Instagram for the remark that he said was a "very bad joke." Five days later, Son, Tottenham's captain, said that he had accepted his teammate's apology.

"He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised. Lolo [Bentancur] would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all," Son said in a post on social media.

"We're past this, we're united, and we will be back together in preseason to fight for our club as one."

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

- ESPN

LALIGA CALL FOR ARRESTS AFTER VINICIUS JUNIOR HATE CAMPAIGN

 LaLiga has called for the arrest of fans behind a hate campaign aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior ahead of Sunday's derby against Atlético Madrid.

Some fans had claimed on social media that they would attend the game at the Metropolitano wearing masks, enabling them to racially abuse the Brazil international without being identified

Vinícius has frequently been targeted with racist abuse from opposition fans, including at the Madrid derby. Last year, four Atlético fans were charged after an effigy of Vinícius was hung from a bridge.

"LaLiga wishes to announce that it will proceed to formally report and request the immediate arrest of the instigators behind a hate campaign seeking to promote racist and derogatory acts at the upcoming match between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid," the league said on Saturday.

"The aforementioned campaign constitutes the crime of incitement to hatred, as clearly defined in the Penal Code. LaLiga vigorously condemns these actions that -- directly or indirectly -- encourage, promote and incite hatred against an individual, in this case, the player Vinícius Jr., because of his race.

"These actions also involve the aggravating circumstances outlined in sections 3 and 4 of Article 510 of the Penal Code, as 'the acts are such to disturb public peace.' LaLiga will not tolerate such behaviour under any circumstances."

Vinícius Júnior has been the target of multiple instances of racist abuse. Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images

It's not clear how many fans intended to participate in the campaign, with media coverage based on a handful of posts on social media. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was reluctant to discuss the issue on Saturday.

"Obviously we aren't thinking about that," Ancelotti said. "We don't talk about that. The justice system is taking action... We have to focus, there are other bodies that must worry about that."

In June, three Valencia fans were jailed for eight months for racially abusing Vinícius during a LaLiga game in May 2023, in the first verdict of its kind in Spain.

- Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez

CHELSEA CONDEMN ENZO FERNÁNDEZ'S DISCRIMINATION CHANTS

Enzo Fernández joined Chelsea in 2023 and has made 46 appearances. Photo by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images

 Chelsea have condemned all discriminatory behaviour and started an internal disciplinary procedure in the wake of Argentina's derogatory song about French players, the club said in a statement.

The French Football Federation (FFF) announced on Tuesday it would file a legal complaint over "racist and discriminatory remarks" made by Chelsea player Enzo Fernández and his Argentina teammates about France's team after Sunday's Copa América victory over Colombia.

"Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour completely unacceptable," a club statement said on Wednesday.

"We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome."

Following Argentina's 1-0 win over Colombia in the final, Fernández posted a video on Instagram that was widely viewed on X. The video showed the Argentina players singing offensive chants that singled out France players of African heritage.

The same chants -- by some Argentina fans -- emerged before France and Argentina met in the 2022 World Cup final, which Argentina won.

France defender Wesley Fofana displayed his discontent with his Chelsea teammate and reposted the video, citing the chant as "uninhibited racism."

Chelsea and France forward Christopher Nkunku followed Fofana, saying on X: "God bless them," talking about the Argentinean team's derogatory words.

Fernández issued a statement of apology on Instagram admitting the song "includes highly offensive language" but added "those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. ... I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations."

French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra wants FIFA to take action. She replied to a L'Equipe story about the derogatory chants, writing on X: "Pathetic. Behaviour that is all the more unacceptable if it is repeated. @FIFAcom: a reaction?"

FIFA also said it was also looking into the incident after the French federation pledged to file a complaint with the sport's world governing body over "racist and discriminatory remarks."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said football and its 211 national federations must have a zero tolerance approach to racism and in May committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents.

"FIFA is aware of a video circulating on social media and the incident is being looked into," the governing body said Wednesday. "FIFA strongly condemns any form of discrimination by anyone including players, fans and officials."

It is unclear what jurisdiction FIFA has over the incident on a team bus after a tournament, but the governing body likely could act if the Argentina federation's handling of the case is considered unsatisfactory.

Julio Garro, Argentina's undersecretary for sports, said on Wednesday he felt Argentina football federation president Claudio "Chiqui" Tapia as well as team captain Lionel Messi should issue apologies for the chanting.

"This leaves us, as a country, in bad standing after so much glory," Garro said in an Argentina radio interview.

- Adriana Garcia

FRENCH FEDERATION TAKES ACTION OVER 'RACIST' ARGENTINA CHANT

Argentina beat Colombia in Sunday's Copa América final in Miami. JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images

 The French Football Federation (FFF) is filing a legal complaint over "racist and discriminatory remarks" by Argentina players in postmatch chants about France's team after the Copa América final.

Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday. A video posted on Instagram by Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández and widely viewed on X showed Argentina players singing about French players with African heritage.

Fernández later apologized for singing the song featured in the video.

The same chants -- by some Argentina fans -- emerged before France and Argentina met in the World Cup final two years ago, which Argentina won.

"Given the seriousness of these shocking remarks, which are contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the FFF president has decided to contact its Argentinian counterpart and FIFA directly to file a legal complaint for racist and discriminatory remarks," the French federation said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made against the players of the France team as part of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team."

Diallo is a member of the executive committee of European soccer body UEFA with a growing reputation in the game's politics.

The derogatory chants single out France players of African heritage from several countries holding a French passport.

Fernández's Chelsea teammate Wesley Fofana, a France international, shared the video on social media Tuesday with the comment, "Football in 2024: Uninhibited racism."

In an apology on Instagram, Fernández said he was "caught up in the euphoria" of the celebrations.

"I want to apologise sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations," he posted. "The song includes highly offensive language and there is no excuse for these words.

"I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologise for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry."

FIFA could not immediately confirm Tuesday if the French complaint had been filed.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said soccer and its 211 national federations must have a zero tolerance approach to racism and in May committed to relaunching a task force to monitor incidents.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

VALENCIA FANS JAILED FOR REAL MADRID'S VINICIUS RACIAL ABUSE

Vinícius Júnior appeared in court to testify in the case against the Valencia fans. OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images

 Three fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from stadiums for two years over the racist abuse of Vinícius Júnior at Mestalla in May 2023.

The incident -- which took place during Real Madrid's 1-0 LaLiga defeat to Valencia -- sparked uproar worldwide, after the Brazil star identified an individual in the crowd who had been racially abusing him, causing the game to be suspended.

Vinícius later hit out at Spanish authorities' handling of the issue, saying "racism is normal in LaLiga," while the league called for greater powers to deal with the problem.

LaLiga praised the guilty verdict, saying it was the first of its kind in Spain.

"This ruling is great news regarding the fight against racism in Spain," LaLiga president Javier Tebas said. "It redresses the wrong suffered by Vinícius Júnior and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse. LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them."

"I understand that there may be some frustration at the length of time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity. LaLiga can only respect the pace of justice, and once again demand that Spanish legislation evolves so that LaLiga has sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism."

In a statement on Monday, Real Madrid said it would continue to work to eliminate racism.

"The three accused have accepted their criminal responsibility and have made public a letter of apology addressed to Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid C.F. and other people who felt denigrated and offended by their behavior," the statement read.

"This is the first conviction for acts of this nature handed down by criminal courts and tribunals.

"Real Madrid, which participated in this prosecution together with Vinícius Júnior, will continue working to protect the values of our club and eradicate any racist behavior in the world of football and sport."

- Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez

FIFA CONGRESS UNITES IN SUPPORT OF STRENGTHEN ANTI-RACISM MEASURES

FIFA

FIFA President tells 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, “the colour of the jersey“ is the only thing that matters

Five action areas form basis of reinforced anti-racism measures to be applied across all 211 FIFA Member Associations

Congress delegates rise to feet as part of FIFA’s global stand against racism, leading players coaches and referees also supporting measures

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced a robust anti-racism programme based on five “pillars” that will be applied across all 211 FIFA Member Associations (MA), telling the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand: “We need to stand up and fight racism and defeat racism all together.”

FIFA Congress delegates rose as one and applauded after hearing Mr Infantino speak passionately about the need for a united front and five FIFA Legends had outlined the principles on which FIFA will build a sustained effort to rid football of racism.

“Racism is something terrible. It is a scourge that exists in our society. And is one also that is infiltrated in football. For too long we were not capable of dealing with it in an appropriate way,” said Mr Infantino. “We need to stand up and fight racism and defeat racism all together."

"“We cannot accept any more what is happening in the stadiums, what is happening on the pitch, and those who still believe in the world – anywhere in the world – that they can still behave in a racist way when they are dealing with football, when they are attending a football game, when they are playing a game. 

“Those who believe that, they must know that we don’t want them – we don’t want them. They have to go out, they have to be out, they don’t have to be part of our community, they don’t have to be part of football.”"

FIFA

FIFA Legends Emmanuel Adebayor and Iván Córdoba, United States Women’s National Team player Mia Fishel, Thai international Kanjana Sungngoen, and FIFA World Cup 2018™ winner and FIFA Legend Blaise Matuidi then took to the stage, each explaining one of the major tenets of the wide-ranging initiative.

There are five action areas: racism is to be made a specific offence with mandatory inclusion in the individual Disciplinary Codes of all 211 FIFA Member Associations, and given specific and severe sanctions, such as match forfeits; the introduction of a global standard gesture for players to communicate racist incidents and for referees to signal the implementation of the three-step procedure to halt, suspend and ultimately abandon matches; a push for racism to be recognised as a criminal offence in every country in the world and for appropriate punishments; the promotion of educational initiatives together with schools and governments; and the establishment of a new Players' Anti-Racism Panel composed of former players, who will monitor and advise on the implementation of these actions around the world."

"“When I was playing it was tough. We all went through these moments and today, we can make a change,” added former Togo international forward Adebayor. “As some of my brothers, legends like, [Clarence] Seedorf, Samuel Eto’o, a lot of the players have been through it, and I’ve also been through it. Today, together, in this room, me being here I can assure you that it’s looking like it’s going to stop once and for all.”

Delegates were shown a video featuring a number of high-profile current and former players and football figures, such as former FIFA World Cup™ final referee and FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina, FIFA Women’s World Cup™ winner Briana Scurry, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development and former Arsenal FC manager Arsène Wenger, and England men’s national team captain Harry Kane, all making the cross-arm gesture that is being proposed globally to signal racist incidents during games. Mr Infantino said he had been contacting players around the world to solicit their opinions, advice and experiences in drawing up the new strategy."

"“It doesn’t matter where you come from, from which country, from the South Pole to the North Pole, from the East to the West – if you’re good you play, if not you don’t play, and the only thing, the only colour that matters, I said it before, is the colour of the jersey that the players are wearing. And so together with this panel of top, top players from all over the world, we have defined five pillars that we’ll implement, as of today, all over the world, in all 211 countries in order to defeat, once and for all, racism,” Mr Infantino concluded.

“Racism is darkness, and somebody much more wise and intelligent than me once said: “If you are in a dark room, don’t be afraid, just light a candle.”. Today, we don’t light a candle: we light a big fire that will shine all over the world.”"

- FIFA

FAN'S RACIST ABUSE OF MATCH OFFICIAL LEADS TO 1-POINT DEDUCTION FOR FRENCH SOCCER CLUB BASTIA

PARIS (AP) — French soccer club Bastia has been handed a one-point deduction after its second-tier game was disrupted when a fan racially abused an assistant referee.

The French league said late Wednesday its disciplinary panel judged the case based on the racial abuse of the match official, plus fans lighting fireworks and throwing one on the field.

Points deductions in such cases have been requested for more than a decade by anti-discrimination groups working in soccer.

SOCCER SPANISH PROSECUTOR REQUEST 4-YEAR JAIL TERMS OVER HATE CRIME IN VINÍCIUS CASE

Reuters 

A Spanish prosecutor said on Tuesday he has requested four-year prison terms for four soccer fans in a hate crime case opened after a black effigy dressed as Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr was hung from a bridge in January.

A banner reading "Madrid hates Real" and an inflatable black effigy dressed with a replica of Vinicius' No. 20 shirt appeared hanging on a bridge near the club's training ground before a match against rival Atletico Madrid on Jan. 26.

The prosecutor accused four members of far-right radical group Frente Atletico, who are followers of Atletico Madrid, of making threats against Vinicius and also of infringing fundamental rights, a prosecutors' office statement said.

CHRISTIAN HORNER ON HELMUT MARKO

 

HELMUT MARKO MEME | RACIST RED BULL

 

HELMUT MARKO'S RACIST COMMENTS TOWARDS SERGIO PEREZ

 

FORMULA 1 SUPPORTS SERGIO PEREZ OVER RACIST COMMENTS TOWADS HIM FROM RED BULL'S HELMUT MARKO

 

EXCLUSIVE: SOCCER-BRAZIL FORWARD VINICIUS JR TO LEAD NEW ANTI-RACISM COMMITTEE - FIFA

Getty

Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr will lead a special FIFA anti-racism committee made up of players who will suggest stricter punishments for discriminatory behaviour in football, president Gianni Infantino told Reuters on Thursday.

Brazil forward Vinicius was racially abused by fans when Madrid played Valencia in May, the 10th such incident involving the 22-year-old that LaLiga has reported to prosecutors this season.