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Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso will urge FIFA to act after Antonio Rudiger reported a racist incident involving Pachuca’s Gustavo Cabral.
Antonio Rudiger and Cabral having an exchange at the Club World Cup (X)
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso announced he will urge FIFA to take appropriate action following defender Antonio Rudiger’s complaint of a racist incident at the end of their 3-1 Club World Cup victory over Mexican side Pachuca on Sunday.
Rudiger appeared visibly upset after an exchange of words with Pachuca’s Gustavo Cabral post-match and spoke to Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti Abel.
Cabral denied making any racist remarks towards the German centre-back.
In the post-match press conference, Alonso stated: “Toni informed us of something, we support him and will await further developments. I believe FIFA’s protocol has been activated to investigate, but if the incident did occur, all necessary measures should be taken.”
“We support Antonio because such behaviour is unacceptable. Football has no room for this, and if it happened, action is required. This is Antonio’s account, and we believe him. It’s currently under investigation.”
Cabral, aged 39, spoke after the game, insisting that his words were misinterpreted by Rudiger. The Argentine claimed he had called the defender a “coward,” noting that the Spanish phrase he used is similar to another phrase associated with racist abuse.
“The referee indicated racism, but I was consistently saying ‘coward’,” said Cabral.
Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano was also questioned about the incident but stated he was unaware of what had transpired.
“I just learned of this from you; we didn’t discuss it in the dressing room, and I haven’t spoken to Cabral about it. I can’t provide an explanation as this is new information to me,” he said.
“It can’t be justified, but I will speak to him. I’ve known him for a short time, and I’ve never encountered anything like this with Pachuca players. I can’t blindly defend my captain, but I will address it with him,” he added.
FIFA has yet to respond to a request for comment.
(with agency inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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