Racism in Spanish sport, a minority stain, but on the rise

Serious incidents at the Mestalla with Vinicius they once again highlighted the unpleasant reality for Spanish sport in the spotlight. Racism is still present in sports arenas and, although it is true that it is not a general problem, as indicated by the percentage of this type of xenophobic episode in the total number of incidents (1.7% in the 2021-2022 season), yes, it is a a place on the rise, as indicated by the increase in recent years. According to data from the Higher Sports Council (CSD) in connection with proposals for sanctions at stadiums and pavilions of professional competitions, episodes of a racist nature at sports facilities increased from three in the 2018-2019 campaign. at 19 in the 2019-2020 campaign. and 28 in 2021. -2022, the highest value in the last decade.

Despite the worrying increase in cases of racism in Spanish stadiums, the percentage of this type of incident in the total number of documents documented by the CSD is still low. In the 2021-2022 season, only 1.7% of the proposed sanctions by the Spanish sports governing body corresponded to xenophobic acts. This is a high figure compared to the average for the previous decade, although less than the 2.67% in the academic year 2019-2020, which is the highest peak in this regard.

1,669 proposed sanctions

Promoting or participating in fights is the most common reason for the proposed sanctions, above the consumption or bringing of alcoholic beverages into the premises; aggression or insulting police officers and security guards; use of firecrackers, torches or smoke canisters and consumption of intoxicants. A total of 1,669 cases, which represents an increase of 38.4% compared to the 2018-2019 season, the last one that can be analyzed without bias due to limited capacity due to the coronavirus pandemic.