Carlo Ancelotti (AP Image)
Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxia activated the anti-racism protocol after Vinicius assaulted fans he saw abusing him.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday that FIFA’s racism protocol in football was “obsolete” after Brazil forward Vinicius Junior was abused by Valencia fans.
The 22-year-old forward faced vile racist taunts at the Mestalla in La Liga on Sunday, with Spanish police arresting three fans on Tuesday.
Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxia activated the anti-racism protocol after Vinicius assaulted fans he saw abusing him.
FIFA’s three-stage process calls for the match to be postponed until an announcement is made to prevent racist abuse at the stadium, which occurred at the Mestalla.
The second step after any misconduct is to temporarily remove the players from the pitch and the third step, if it continues, is to forfeit the game and award three points to the opposition.
“The protocol is obsolete,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“Protocol had to be implemented when the team bus reached the stadium as the insults started there.
“Two hours before the game, and it was not an isolated case – someone from Valencia said it was – sure, it was not 46,000 people, but it was not one or two.”
Video emerged on Monday of Valencia fans chanting “Vinicius, you’re a monkey” when Real Madrid arrived at the Mestalla.
“The protocol has to start from there,” Ancelotti continued.
“If you start the protocol in the 70th minute, you have made a mistake.
“It has to be started two hours before the game and again during the game. It’s obsolete, yes.”
Vinicius was later sent-off for hitting Valencia’s Hugo Duro and will miss Wednesday’s clash with Rayo Vallecano.
Ancelotti said the player did not practice on Tuesday because he was feeling sore in his knee.
The striker said Spain was seen as a “racist country” in a statement on Instagram late on Sunday, which Ancelotti disagreed with, but called for tougher action to tackle racism.
“Spain is not racist, I also have to say, but there is racism in Spain, as elsewhere and it has to end,” Ancelotti said.
“This is the moment to take drastic measures. Institutions have the opportunity to take radical measures on this important topic.”
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP,
