"El Hilali informed me that he [Mir] addressed him in the following terms: You came here on a dinghy,' which could not be heard by any member of the refereeing team, wrote the referee in his report. Consequently, I proceeded to activate the anti-racism protocol, for which reason the match was stopped for three minutes."
"Spanish football has struggled to deal with racism in the stands in recent years, with the Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior regularly targeted. In May 2025, five Valladolid supporters were jailed for a year for racist insults aimed at Vinicius in 2022."
During a La Liga match between Elche and Espanyol, defender Omar El Hilali reported that forward Rafa Mir directed a racist insult at him, allegedly telling him 'You came here on a dinghy.' Referee Iosu Galech Apezteguia activated the anti-racism protocol in the 80th minute, stopping the match for three minutes after speaking with El Hilali. Although the refereeing team could not hear the alleged insult, the referee documented the incident in the official report. El Hilali appeared visibly upset following the incident. Mir subsequently scored a penalty in the 90th minute, helping Elche secure a 2-2 draw. This incident reflects ongoing racism issues in Spanish football, with several high-profile cases involving players like Vinicius Junior facing similar abuse.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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