Racism and Hypocrisy in Soccer

Some of the greatest moments in sport have been brought to us via some of the greatest rivalries in sport. Do you remember where you were when Chris Davis returned Alabama's short field-goal attempt for a touchdown to give Auburn the win as time expired? Or when Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision in the "Fight of the Century"? What about when the Red Sox completed a 3-0 comeback in the 2004 ALCS, toppling the New York Yankees?

Odds are, you do remember, and if you don't, you've heard about them.

Rivalries are bigger than sport. That's what makes them special. It's about more than a game, it's Us. vs Them, it's Wrong vs. Right and sometimes it's Right vs. Left. 

In the case of soccer's El Classico (F.C. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid), it's been a game of violence, with crunching tackles, red cards and even suspensions. Though sometimes it's a game of politics, sometimes more important than the game itself. In a 2023 press conference, Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, referred to Madrid as "a club considered the team of the regime." This remark clearly referenced the rule of Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain from 1939-1975.

Madrid responded with a 4-minute video, detailing what they believed to be evidence of Barcelona's close ties to Franco. The video ended with a statement from club legend Santiago Bernabeau that translates to "When I hear ‘Real Madrid has been the team of the regime,’ I want to curse the father of whoever says it."

One thing is true: Real Madrid was Franco's preferred team, though Shezan Meher, a writer for Footy Times, explains that "The widespread belief is that Real Madrid was great because Franco supported them. However, it would be more accurate to say that Franco supported them because they were great."

Despite that, Franco's admiration for the club comes with unwanted repercussions to this day. Many still see Madrid as soccer's "right-wing" team, and see Barcelona as soccer's "left-wing" team. 

Deeply ingrained in the politics of the 21st century is the conversation of racism, and many of the world's biggest soccer clubs have dealt with racism, not only amongst opposition fans, but all too often amongst their own fans too. Many fanbases have faced serious allegations of racial abuse toward black players, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are not exceptions.

Samuel Eto'o, who played for both Madrid and Barcelona, was one of the first players to speak out against racism. Much of Eto'o's experience with racial abuse came in Spain, where fans of Real Zaragoza infamously made monkey-like noises whenever Eto'o was on the ball. 

But Eto'o also faced abuse against Real Madrid when playing for Barcelona. 

"I found ways of making a point against racism," Eto'o said in a 2010 interview with The Guardian. "When I played against Real Zaragoza, they chanted like monkeys and threw peanuts on the pitch. So when I scored, I danced in front of them like a monkey. When the same thing happened against Real Madrid, I scored and held my fist in a Black Power salute."

In a 2016 interview, Eto'o leveled a serious accusation while looking back on his time in Madrid.

"I never wanted to leave Real Madrid," Eto'o said, "but in that company I wanted to. I'll never understand the real reason."

"I have always done well," Eto'o said. "The only explanation is that perhaps the black men in that club were not loved."

In 2018, Vinicius Jr., a Black player from Brazil, joined Real Madrid and quickly became their biggest star. His breakout season came in 2021-22 as he found the back of the net 22 times. It wasn't long before the winger faced racial abuse from a number of other Spanish clubs.

Vini Jr.'s flamboyant personality and his tendency not to shy away from controversy quickly made him the face of the movement to fight racism in soccer, as he spoke openly about his experiences both in interviews and on social media.

On Jan 26, 2023, an effigy of Vini Jr. was found hanging from a bridge near a Real Madrid training ground. On the bridge there was a banner with a message that translates to "Madrid hates Real." Four men who were alleged fans of rival club Atletico Madrid were later sent to jail for the incident.

In May 2024, Alex Kirkland of ESPN put together a timeline of 16 incidents of racial abuse toward the Brazilian, starting in 2021. It's not a coincidence that these incidents started around the same time Vini Jr. began to play great soccer, as he was scoring goals at his highest rate ever. Success brings attention, and all too often in sport, the best players are victims of the most hateful words. 

Real Madrid quickly sought action for these incidents, rightly so. Before anyone knew it, the club long associated with more conservative ideals was at the forefront of the fight against racism.

Does Real Madrid have the right to seek legal action? Yes. Is Vini Jr. justified in fighting this battle? Yes. But is the fanbase of Real Madrid the best fanbase to be leading this movement? Maybe not.

 Real Madrid fans are standing behind their star, and rightly so, but consistency is important. 

You can't fight for one Black player if you don't fight for all Black players. In fact, that act in itself is counterintuitive. So, do Madrid fans fight for all Black players? 

To put it simply, no.

During the most recent El Classico, video evidence surfaced that showed 17-year-old Barcelona star Lamine Yamal being victim of racial abuse from Madrid fans. The abuse came after Yamal scored the team's third goal in what would be a 4-0 victory.

Real Madrid responded by launching an investigation into determining which fans hurled the racist insults. The question is whether or not Madrid would've launched this type of investigation 10 years ago, or even 20 years ago, when actions like these were much more common.

Did Real Madrid suddenly become interested in weeding out racist fans, or are they interested in quieting shouts of hypocrisy instead?

Madrid fans demand justice for Vini Jr., but at the same time they racially abused one of the game's most beloved talents in Yamal. Barcelona fans are not innocent either, as one of the 16 racial abuse incidents toward Vini Jr. occurred in their own stadium. Are fans really ready to fight racism?

No.

Many soccer fans around the world are beginning to stand up for racist abuse against Black players, but it seems as though a large portion of them only do so for the Black players that are on their team.

A Black player who plays for your club is not more important than a Black player who plays for another club, even your rival club. However, is the message being communicated by Real Madrid that they believe in fighting against racial abuse? Or do they only believe in fighting for their own players?

There's an argument that Real Madrid launching an investigation onto their own fans is progress, which is true, but would Madrid have sought that justice without the pressure of the world watching?

Booing and chirping will always be part of the game. Real Madrid fans can boo Samuel Eto'o for joining Barcelona, and they can even boo Lamine Yamal just for the fact that he plays for the 'other side,' but booing a player because he is Black is not the same thing, especially if they wouldn't boo that same player if he was donning their kit.

Stand for the right things because you believe in them, not because they benefit your team.