Vinícius targeted again as Sevilla ejects fan for ‘racist behaviour’
Madrid, Oct 22: Sevilla ejected a fan from its Spanish league match against Real Madrid and filed a complaint with police after the spectator allegedly displayed “xenophobic and racist behavior,” with Vinícius Júnior once again the target. In a statement Sevilla did not specify what the behaviour was, or name any intended target, but the Madrid star, who is Black, later posted on social media about being on the receiving end of racism during Saturday’s match. Vinícius, who has regularly faced racist abuse from rival fans, said it was “another sad episode for Spanish Football.” Sevilla’s statement was issued shortly after it drew 1-1 with Madrid at its Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville. Sevilla said that it “condemns any xenophobic and racist behaviour, even an isolated case, like this one was, and expresses its predisposition to work with authorities to eradicate these attitudes.” It said the fan will “be subject to the club’s vigorous internal disciplinary protocols and have their membership revoked.” Brazil forward Vinícius praised Sevilla’s response but said much more needed to be done by the Spanish authorities.(AP)
German club gives away
tickets for crowd of 52,000
Dusseldorf, Oct 22: A crowd of 52,000 watched a thrilling win for Fortuna Duesseldorf in German football’s second division. And they all got in for free. Saturday’s game was the first step in a “Fortuna for Everyone” plan to give away tickets for selected games, which Fortuna hopes could revolutionize how fans relate to club football. In future, it says it wants to offer every one of its home games for free. The hope is to reconnect Fortuna, which last won a trophy in 1980, with its community and attract a new generation of fans. The fans certainly enjoyed Fortuna’s win, and they may have inspired it, as the home team surged back from three goals down to beat Kaiserslautern 4-3. There were also some ugly moments. When Kaiserslautern raced into a 3-0 lead by the 32nd minute, there were whistles from the home fans and one Kaiserslautern player was struck by an object thrown from the stands. As Fortuna got back into the game, the crowd got behind the team, every decision that went its way greeted with roars from the stands. By the time Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka scored a spectacular long-range goal to give Fortuna the lead, most of the stadium was on its feet to celebrate a remarkable comeback. The ultras – hardcore Fortuna fans behind one goal – let off flares and fireworks, defying a stadium announcement to “stop this nonsense.” Giving away tickets creates a shortfall of around 450,000 to 500,000 euros per game in lost revenue, CEO Alexander Jobst told reporters Wednesday. Fortuna aims to make that up by attracting new sponsors keen to advertise to a capacity crowd. (AP)