The Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Pachuca in the Club World Cup took a dramatic turn. Defender Antonio Rudiger alleged he was targeted with racist insults by Pachuca’s captain, Gustavo Cabral.
Rudiger and Cabral, both substitutes, got into a heated argument after the final whistle. Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti intervened to calm them down.
But Rudiger was furious, demanding answers from Cabral. The referee made a gesture recognized by FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, crossing his arms, signaling a possible racist incident that needs further investigation.
Coach Xabi Alonso said, “Antonio told us what happened, and we’ll activate the racism protocol. There will be an investigation.”
Rudiger confronted Cabral again in the tunnel and had to be restrained by teammates and staff.
The incident is particularly sensitive for Real Madrid, given that star player Vinicius Junior often faces racist insults in Spanish stadiums.
Cabral denied the racism allegations, saying, “I used an expression we often use in Argentina. The referee made a racism signal, but there was nothing like that.”
Cabral has played in Spanish football for years, including for Celta de Vigo and Levante. Rudiger has been involved in several controversies, including throwing ice at a referee in the King’s Cup final against Barcelona, which earned him a six-game suspension.
The whole situation has sparked a lot of debate. A video on social media appears to show Cabral calling Rudiger a derogatory name.
The incident will likely be investigated further, and actions will be taken if necessary. For now, the football community is waiting to see what happens next.
What’s Next?
An investigation is underway, and the outcome will be closely watched. The football world will be waiting to see what actions are taken against Cabral, if any.
Real Madrid has shown support for Rudiger, with coach Alonso saying, “The team is with Rudiger.”
The incident has brought attention to the ongoing issue of racism in football, and it remains to be seen how the sport will address it.
The football community is speaking out against racism, and this incident has sparked a lot of conversation.
It’s a reminder that there’s still a lot of work to be done to eliminate racism from the sport.
For now, the focus is on the investigation and what happens next.
- Rudiger alleged he was targeted with racist insults by Cabral
- Referee Ramon Abatti intervened to calm the situation
- Coach Xabi Alonso said an investigation will be conducted
- Cabral denied the allegations, saying he used a common expression in Argentina
The incident has sparked a lot of debate, and the outcome of the investigation will be closely watched.
It’s a reminder that racism has no place in football, and the sport must continue to work towards eliminating it.