Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has alleged that he was subjected to racist abuse during his side’s 3-1 Club World Cup victory over Mexican club Pachuca on Sunday.
Rudiger appeared visibly upset after the final whistle following a heated exchange with Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral.
The German centre-back immediately reported the incident to Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti Abel, who is said to have activated FIFA’s anti-racism protocol.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, Madrid coach Xabi Alonso confirmed the incident:
“Toni told us something, we support him fully, and we will see what happens. The FIFA protocol has been activated to investigate this. If it happened, measures must be taken. There is zero tolerance for racism in football.”
Cabral, 39, however, denied any racist intent, claiming that his remarks were misunderstood. According to him, he called Rudiger a “coward” in Spanish, a term which he says may have been misinterpreted as a racial slur.
“The referee made the racism sign, but I was telling him the same thing the whole time—‘coward.’ There was no racist insult,” Cabral stated after the match.
Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano said he was unaware of the incident and only learned about it from the press after the game.
“I have not spoken to Cabral about this. I can’t explain what happened because this is the first I am hearing of it. I know Cabral and I’ve never known him to act in such a manner, but I will speak to him to clarify,” Lozano added.
FIFA has yet to issue an official statement as investigations are ongoing.
