Real Madrid denounce Clasico racism against Barca players

Real Madrid criticised supporters’ abuse towards Barcelona players such teenager Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde after Saturday’s 4-0 Clasico loss. The government condemned the abuse, and La Liga said they would report it to Spanish authorities.

“Real Madrid strongly condemns any kind of behaviour involving racism, xenophobia or violence in football and sport, and deeply regrets the insults that a few fans uttered last night in one of the corners of the stadium,” stated Los Blancos in a statement.

The game of racial insults against Barcelona players was documented on social media, with 17-year-old Yamal targeted during a goal celebration after becoming the youngest Clasico scorer. The Spanish champions “opened an investigation in order to locate and identify the perpetrators of these deplorable and despicable insults.”

“La Liga will immediately report the racist insults and gestures directed at Barcelona players to the hate crime unit of the national police,” said the Spanish top flight.

Spain’s sports council (CSD) announced its Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance in Sport would discuss the matter Monday.

“The Clasico is one of the greatest spectacles in the world, a true expression of the importance that football has in our country,” said the CSD in a release.

“In it, as in any other sporting event, there can never be any room for expressions of violence, racism, xenophobia, hatred or intolerance.”

“Neither racism, nor insults, nor violence have a place in our country’s sport,” wrote Spain’s education, professional development, and sports minister Pilar Alegria on X.

Yamal received backing from Spain’s inclusion and migration minister, Elma Saiz.

“The racist insults aimed at Lamine Yamal in the Clasico are everything we in the government will fight against,” she tweeted.

“We will not allow attacks that we do not tolerate in other spaces to become normalised in sport.”