Critical, incisive and expectant. Carlo Ancelotti appealed this Tuesday morning for the action of all the parties involved so that the racist attack that Vinicius suffered in Mestalla does not happen again. “We have a great opportunity to stop this and turn things around very quickly. The FIFA president was clear. Hopefully the Spanish federation, LaLiga and the referees are too”, said the Real Madrid coach, who denounced that the protocol to stop this type of episode is “obsolete”. The Italian appealed to the “intelligence” and “education” of each one “to turn the situation around.”
Almost at the same time, Florentino Pérez, during the events celebrating the Euroleague basketball, also referred to this matter. “I want to make it very clear and announce that Real Madrid will not tolerate any more racist incidents and insults against any of our players. For this, it is essential to radically change the arbitration structure, so that the victim can never be held responsible for the crime, as is happening ”, he assured with the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, opposite. They were the first public words of the president of the club, who this Monday met urgently with Vinicius. “What happened is very serious, and with the aggravating circumstance that it is not the first time. Society does not deserve what is happening. Sport is a place of values, encounter and coexistence, respect and solidarity”, he added.
“The protocol should have been applied when the bus arrived at the stadium, two hours before [en referencia a los insultos de “mono” que captaron las cámaras]”, Ancelotti continued in a longer than normal appearance (over 20 minutes) and monographic on this matter. “They were not isolated cases. There were 46,000 people [como denunció en la rueda de prensa posterior al partido] and I apologize. But it wasn’t one or two people,” the coach stressed. “Spain is not racist, but there is racism in football, especially in stadiums, where everything is allowed. This has to end. Condemning is not enough. We have condemned this type of act for a long time ”, insisted the one from Reggiolo.
As Xavi Hernández denounced this Monday, Ancelotti assured that the general problem is one of education and permissiveness in football. “Why has the insult become normal? After the meeting they told me that I misheard, that they didn’t yell at Vini ‘monkey’, but rather ‘stupid’. Why do we have to get used to insults? Behind the benches they tell you everything: ‘son of a bitch’, ‘faggot’, ‘let your mother die’…”.
In his opinion, England is the model to follow. “They don’t insult you there. This problem was solved long ago with drastic measures, when in the eighties they were expelled from European competitions for five years [tras la tragedia de Heysel]”, he commented. “In the Premier matches there are no police. Here it seems that you are going to war ”, launched Carletto.
The white coach’s speech was very clear, thoughtful and with his stomach in his hand. However, when asked in the press room if, 48 hours after the incident, he thinks that perhaps he should have withdrawn the team from Mestalla, he showed some doubt. “I’ve thought about it,” he admitted. “I spoke to him and asked him if he wanted to continue. The referee also asked him to continue. It’s not my responsibility and I hope I don’t have to get to this situation. The institutions have the opportunity because the topic is very hot, ”he indicated.
Vinicius was absent this Tuesday from the last collective training session prior to Wednesday’s clash against Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabéu (7:30 p.m.). He stayed in the gym. The coach cited a small discomfort in one knee, although he did not hide the player’s sadness and also the situation of waiting for the sanction that will fall on him after being sent off for a direct red card in Valencia. If he loses two games, he will have the whole week off (he will not be at Pizjuán on Saturday either) and, if he only has one, he will go with his team to Seville, Carletto announced.
“Vini is a victim of what happens that, sometimes, passes for guilt. And the victims are also the fans who behave impeccably ”, added Ancelotti, who does not see the Brazilian player outside of Madrid, as he has slipped the winger in the last hours in his posts on social networks. “He loves football and, above all, Real Madrid. He has not lost the illusion. I don’t think he wants to go, ”he settled.
You can follow EL PAÍS Sports on Facebook and Twitteror sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
