Spain’s Real Zaragoza face censure again after a Levante player was subjected to racist abuse from fans during their Primera Liga match on Sunday.
Referee Fernando Teixeira Vitienes, in his match report, said he heard monkey chants being directed at a Levante player.
”I asked the local match delegate to apply the protocol [to make an announcement over the PA system asking fans to stop] and did not hear the sounds again,” he said.
It is not the first time such incidents have occurred at Zaragoza’s stadium.
Two seasons ago Barcelona’s Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o was greeted by monkey chants and had peanuts thrown at him by Zaragoza fans after he scored a goal.
In February Real Betis’s Brazilian striker Robert was racially abused and later in the same month Eto’o was again the target.
Eto’o tried to leave the pitch during the second half but was persuaded to continue by coach Frank Rijkaard and his teammates.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), who had previously fined Zaragoza a standard €600 for such cases, imposed a €9 000 fine on the club after the second Eto’o incident.
After the fine, Zaragoza said it would track down those responsible for the acts and would implement a programme to combat racism in their stadium.
The Spanish government has committed itself to taking a hard line on racism in football, after a rise in the number of incidents of abuse directed at players in recent seasons.
A week ago the government-run anti-violence commission asked the RFEF to investigate racist chants from the crowd in the Primera Liga match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona, despite the referee making no mention of it in his report. — Reuters