Athletes and racism in Galicia: “They made me look like a monkey and called me black shit”

Vinicius is not alone. Galician sport is full of examples at all levels where athletes suffer racist abuse from their surroundings. Football offers the widest range of compromising situations.

CATANHA

“No one has taken any action, I hope the authorities will act”

Former Brazilian footballer Celte Catanha recalls an episode he suffered in Zaragoza while playing with the sky-blue team: “Every time I touched the ball, they made a monkey sound, without any provocation from me. It happened to other football players there. There is always a sector like this in stadiums. On the field, it was also common for opposing players to call you ‘black shit’, but because of my character, those insults made me stronger on the field. In any case, I hope that the authorities will act”.

“At that time, no importance was attached to it, no one said anything and there were no social networks like now. I think everyone should know that Spain is not a racist country, but that it accepts foreigners, but that culture must be brought to all fields in Spain,” he says.

“It’s clear that you don’t feel comfortable when that happens to you, nor when they call you an asshole or mention your mother. It is done to destabilize, especially if you are the protagonist and do your job well, as is the case with Vinicius. Now we have to use this moment to eliminate all kinds of racism, it has to stop and it is a crucial moment for the authorities to do the right thing”, he concludes.

donated

“It should not be ignored”

The former Deportivo and Atlético de Madrid player believes that “one should never listen to insults”. “They called me all kinds of things and made me a monkey when I played in Spain with Vasco da Gama and at Riazor with Atlético. Although it was racism, I did not attach importance to it, but continued to work to silence those who insulted, because if they know that it provokes me, then everything is worse – he recalls. “This saddens me in Spain, but I don’t consider it racism,” he concludes.

brizzola

“I’m starting the topic that you’re not from here”

The Argentine coach, who has been in Spain since 1976, insists he has received excellent treatment since his arrival. “I don’t consider Spain a xenophobic country, but why does there have to be a Nazi flag on the field?”, he asks, and admits that “a spectator shouted ‘eggs, go to your country’.” dedicate yourself to something else'”. “You go out to give a sign, and they bring up the topic that you are not from here. It seems to me that things have gone further, because society has deteriorated”, he believes.

JON MORET MAYAN

“Seen, xa che ve”

A UC Cee player, at 22, Jon already remembers three instances of clear racism while playing football. The first one, at least the first one that bothered him, was in his youth, when he wore the Corcubión jersey. One fan started hurling discriminatory insults at him from the stands, and due to the referee’s inaction, he decided to take justice into his own hands by climbing onto the stand where the tangana was placed. – I was 17 years old and because of that I lost four games, and he didn’t have any sanctions – he recalls.

With the other two, the anger didn’t reach as high, although it was always due to other people intervening, since Jon is an insult he can’t stand still. “In Carballo, the referee had to stop the match and warn the fans and the local delegate. It is true that it was the best act of those I found in these cases”, he points out. Also in the capital of Bergantiños, this time in Berdillo, he experienced an unfortunate episode: «Against San Lorenzo, one of them protested for a foul and I told him to look at me that I was also all stained from falling to the ground. He answered me: ‘To you stained, xa se che ve semper’. The coach had to replace me, but he continued to play,” Jon recalls.

MAIKON LAPA

“I had to endure racist insults, spitting and kicking, and the referee let the game continue”

At the age of 15, Maikon Lapa left his native Brazil and went to Portugal. He played football there, and he came to Spain “deceived”, he says, after signing the contract. He thought he would end up in the Deportiva branch and he ended up in Palmeira. That’s how he arrived in Barbanca, where he was a member of various teams in the region until he hung up his football boots and started practicing martial arts.

He, like many others, unfortunately had to endure racist episodes: “Every Sunday they told me things like return to my country, they called me a monkey or Stone and insulted me because of the color of my skin. In one game they even tried to invade the field to hit me.

Thinking back, Maikon remembers a specific match: «Our midfielder played the ball from the air with the central defender of the opposing team and because of the conflict, my teammate remained on the ground. But when he combed the ball he made me stay alone in front of the goalkeeper. I dribbled and scored, even though my opponents wanted me to kick the ball out. The referee did not stop the game, he let it continue. I had to endure racist insults, spitting and kicking and I told the referee if he can’t see what’s going on, to which he replied that if he can’t take it, ask for a change.

Recently, while participating in a marathon group, he again experienced an unpleasant situation. He assures that “they called a colleague a monkey.” He is tall and strong and wanted to face himself, but we stopped him. Even above the organization, she wanted to kick us out. We were left as bullies, and the one who insulted went without any punishment. It’s very sad, but it happens.”

Now he practices martial arts and claims that “there is no such aggressiveness in tatami”.

Nilson Pereira Sanchez

“You feel anger and powerlessness… you go crazy”

Nilson Pereira Sanches came to Burela from Cape Verde at the age of 12. Today he is 35 years old. In his sports career, he went through the lower categories of the Burelense team and entities such as SD Cervo-Sargadelos, San Román, O Valadouro or San Ciprián. Football helped him to integrate, but it also caused him problems. He assures that on the fields of the province of Lugo, he heard “black shit” or “go to your country” several times, not only from the fans but also from the opponents themselves, when the referee walked away. “There are episodes of racism in the First League, and there are also in the First Autonomous League, even when we don’t play for a contract, but for fun,” he reasoned. How did you feel when you heard racist insults? “Anger, impotence… You’re going crazy. I was once kicked out. You try to control yourself, but it’s not easy – he says. He believes that racism is latent in society, and events that release passion, such as sports, bring it out. On the street or out drinking, nobody tells you anything, but it seems that everything is allowed in the stadium, he claims.

The board of directors of CD Alfoza, also in A Mariña, has assured that the entity will stop playing in any field if episodes like those experienced by the 21-year-old footballer in Meira last April are repeated. The player heard racist insults – “vaite na patera” – and at the end asked for change and cried inconsolably. The president of the club, Dani Rejes, recalled then that “I said that racism does not exist, but it does.”

Jerin Marcolino Ramos

“Black, we’ll break your legs”

Ourense football club player Jerin Marcolino Ramos Santos was born in Madrid, although he is originally from Cape Verde. He explains that personally, as a football player, he only once experienced a situation of racism on the football field. “I experienced it at Racing de Santander B, in Cantabria, four or five years ago. It was on the field, almost towards the end of the third division game, we equalized, and the rival team started insulting me, black shit was telling me, go to your country, we will break your legs. Those who insulted were both players and fans. It was difficult for us to enter the dressing room because the rival team did not allow us. The police went to get us out.” It was a case that, in particular, suffered as a racist attack. However, Jerin qualifies that general insults are received by all players, not only blacks.

Outside of football, Jerin points out that she has felt more subtle forms of racism in Spanish society. “On the street, when I was 12 or 13, things like people looking at you strangely or older people changing the pavement when they want to cross you. It didn’t happen to me later,” he admits.

As for the debate that opened up this week after the racist abuse of Vinicius, the Ourense CF player claims that it is nothing new, as there are one or two cases every season in the Spanish league. The Ourensanista midfielder points out that they happen more often in the lower leagues, so he hopes that the current controversy will serve to do something. “If you act now and give it the importance it should have, it is appreciated because it can have a greater impact on the young footballers,” he adds. Jerin is in favor of banning all kinds of insults in the camps, not just racist ones.

“They never left their city”

Mamadou Kanté and Collins Ekeocha are two African footballers who play for Vea CF in Segunda Galicia. At 34 years of age, they have a long career behind them in different clubs and, although they are aware that on some occasions they have suffered insults with racist undertones, they believe that these are very specific events. “They do it to stab you, get you out of the game and get kicked out, but I don’t care about them. I don’t listen to them and do what I have to do on the field,” Mamadou explains.

Collins recalls such a situation a few seasons ago with a colleague who “came face to face” with those who insulted him. In any case, he admits that he did not suffer racist outbursts and uses the same recipe as his partner: to turn a deaf ear to any intolerant behavior and not engage in provocations.

Regarding these unfortunate episodes, Mamadou considers it a sign of ignorance: “If you are going to say such an outrageous thing, you must first look at who you are. These are people who have never left their town, they don’t know how the world works,” he says.

As for the relationship with the dressing room and the board, the two assure that the treatment has always been “spectacular” and that they have never suffered any kind of discrimination.

Insulting in the stands, in the networks and refusing to rent apartments

Episodes of racism are not only limited to serious insults thrown out of the competitive environment, but some athletes have had to endure harassment in other areas as well, such as social media or leading daily life outside the field.

Two of the most notorious cases had Leyma Básquet Coruña players as protagonists. The first of these occurred in August 2018, when a member of the orange team, Larry Abia, heard how, when he saw an apartment for rent in A Coruña, the owner commented to another person: “Don’t rent it to that one, tell him no, he’s colored.”

In January 2022, after the orange team’s defeat to Almansa in LEB Oro, three Leyma players (Nick Ward, Atoumane Diagne and Ashley Hamilton) received racist attacks on social media. Hamilton condemned it in the same way: “In case anyone forgets that it’s not, racism is one hundred percent real.”

Information prepared Antón Lestón, Fran Brea, Míriam Vázquez Fraga, David Cofán, Ramón González Rey, Maite Rodríguez and PG Cundíns.