Racism In La Liga: 6 Referees Sacked Over Valencia Controversy

Following racism criticisms in the La Liga, six VAR referees have been sacked in the aftermath of the fixture between Valencia and Real Madrid.
Vinicius Junior was a target in the fixture that resulted in the Brazilian being sent off following his confrontation with a rival fan.
Following the game, Vinicius took to social media to express his disappointment, condemning the actions of the supporters and expressing his dissatisfaction with the lack of action from La Liga in curbing racism.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that in a major development, six VAR referees have been relieved of their duties by the Royal Spanish Football Federation and The Technical Committee of Referees.

The decision comes in the wake of the alleged racist abuse directed at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr during their recent 1-0 defeat against Valencia.

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The Brazilian winger found himself at the center of attention for all the wrong reasons during the match.

It began with a heated confrontation between Vinicius and Valencia supporters, who reportedly subjected him to racial abuse from the stands.

To compound matters, the 22-year-old was then shown a red card for slapping Hugo Duro after enduring physical contact from the Valencia player. This decision prompted ironic jeers from the home fans.

Following the game, Vinicius took to social media to express his disappointment, condemning the actions of the supporters and expressing his dissatisfaction with the lack of action from La Liga in curbing.

Responding to the outcry, the Royal Spanish Football Federation and The Technical Committee of Referees have taken decisive action by dismissing six La Liga officials, including Iglesias Villanueva, who was in charge of the VAR during the Real Madrid vs Valencia match, as reported by Marca.

The decision to sack the officials was explained by stating that the images provided to on-field referee De Burgos Bengoechea, which led to Vinicius’ red card, were incomplete.

The report claimed that the sequence only showed the Brazilian’s blow to Hugo Duro’s face and failed to provide the full context of the incident.

Real Madrid also released a statement in response to the events of Sunday’s match, strongly condemning the treatment of Vinicius Jr. The statement emphasized that these actions were an attack on the social and democratic model of coexistence, based on the rule of law.

The club classified the incidents as a hate crime and has lodged a report with the Attorney General’s Office, specifically with the Prosecutor’s Office against crimes of hatred and discrimination, seeking accountability for those responsible.

Racism In La Liga: 6 Referees Sacked Over Valencia Controversy — Vinicius Jr in a row with Referee vs. Valencia

Highlighting the significance of the events, Real Madrid has appealed to the Attorney General’s Office while also reserving its rights as a private prosecutor in potential legal proceedings.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti joined in the condemnation of the situation, expressing his disapproval of the fans involved.

Ancelotti stressed the need to address the issue, stating that such behavior should not be tolerated in the league. He emphasized that regardless of the match result, actions of this nature should be stopped and unequivocally condemned.

The decision to dismiss the VAR officials underscores the seriousness with which the Spanish football authorities are addressing the incident.