April 4 – The goalkeeper of a Spanish third division club has been banned for two games after confronting a supporter who he claimed racially abused him.
Rayo Majadahonda’s Senegalese goalkeeper Cheikh Kane Sarr (pictured) was red-carded after jumping into the crowd to confront the fan in the 87th minute of Saturday’s match at Sestao River Club.
After the 23-year-old had been sent off and informed his Rayo Majadahonda team-mates of what had happened, they walked off the pitch in protest with the match subsequently abandoned.
As well as the ban for Sarr, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has also declared that Rayo Majadahonda will forfeit the match 3-0, deducted them three points and fined them €3,000.
But it also ordered Sestao River play two home games behind closed doors and fined them €6,000 for “failing to act diligently or cooperate in the repression of violent, racist, xenophobic or intolerant behaviour.”
Speaking to local reporters about the incident on Tuesday, Sarr, quoted by Reuters, said: “I grabbed him (the fan) and asked why he was insulting me. My attitude was not aggressive, I just wanted to ask him why.
“Other times it could be seen as something playful or a joke. However, this was not the case on Saturday, as it was something horrible and I could not stop myself. It was a very sad and ugly thing what they were saying.”
Rayo Majadahonda captain Jorge Casado told The Athletic that, following the game, he had gone to the local police station alongside Sarr and the club’s vice-president to denounce the racist insults and provide witness statements.
“The fans were insulting him by calling him a ‘monkey’, making monkey noises and calling him a ‘f****** n*****.” Casado said.
A club statement added that Rayo Majadahonda expressed their “deep concern and disagreement with the lack of sensitivity shown by expelling our player from the match, without taking into account the circumstances under which his reaction occurred”.
On Tuesday, Sesato reiterated their “firm commitment against racism, xenophobia and intolerance” but insisted that there was no racist abuse during the game.
“At no time during the football match were there any racist chants towards any of the protagonists,” the statement added.
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