Real Madrid has lodged a formal complaint against LaLiga referee Juan Martinez Munuera.
Real Madrid accuse Martinez Munuera of disregarding racist abuse directed at Vinicius Jnr during a match against Osasuna.
The club alleges that Munuera purposefully omitted the insults towards Vinicius from his match report despite being alerted by Real’s players during the game.
Real Madrid battle with Referee
In a statement according to the Daily Mail, Real Madrid condemned the referee’s actions, stating,
“Our club has filed a complaint with the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation against the match referee Juan Martínez Munuera, as a result of the negligent drafting of the referee’s report.”
Real Madrid further extended their complaint to the State Attorney General’s Office, seeking to address hate crimes and discrimination.
They emphasized their commitment to eradicating racism and demanded decisive action against perpetrators.
The club reiterated their condemnation of racism, discrimination, and hatred, calling for concrete measures to combat such incidents.
Vinicius Jnr, who scored twice in the match against Osasuna, was subsequently booked for dissent and will miss Madrid’s next LaLiga fixture.
The incident adds to a series of racist episodes involving Vinicius in Spanish football.
Real Madrid also raised concerns about abhorrent chanting by Barcelona and Atletico Madrid fans in recent Champions League ties.
Atletico Madrid fans were reportedly heard chanting a racist slur about Vinicius, while Barcelona supporters allegedly engaged in similar behavior.
R. Madrid had previously filed a complaint with Spanish legal authorities over similar incidents on SportsBuddy.ng.
The club emphasized the need for collective action to address racism in football, with manager Carlo Ancelotti stressing the importance of a zero-tolerance approach.
Despite ongoing efforts to combat racism, incidents targeting Vinicius persist, underscoring the urgency of implementing effective measures to eradicate such behavior from the sport.
