Football/ Real Madrid 3-1 Pachuca: Rüdiger claims racist abuse Amid Victory
The friendly match between Real Madrid and Pachuca, held Sunday night in Charlotte (USA), was marred by allegations of racist abuse. As Real Madrid celebrated their 3-1 victory, Antonio Rüdiger claimed he had been the victim of racist insults from Gustavo Cabral, an Argentine defender playing for Pachuca.
According to Spanish media reports, Rüdiger informed the referee that he had been called a “black piece of sh*t”. These serious accusations led the referee to activate FIFA’s anti-racism protocol at the end of the match. Real Madrid’s coach Xabi Alonso publicly supported his player, calling for strict sanctions if the incident is confirmed. “In football, there is zero tolerance for this”, the Spanish coach stated firmly.
For his part, Gustavo Cabral strongly denied the allegations. He argued that he had only used a common Argentine insult — “cagón de mierda” (roughly translated as “cowardly piece of sh*t”) — during a heated exchange with Rüdiger. The defender admitted that tempers flared but insisted that no racist language was used.
Pachuca’s coach, Jaime Lozano, also defended his player, promising to clarify the situation. He assured that Cabral had never been involved in such incidents before and vouched for his captain’s integrity.
An investigation has been opened by football’s governing bodies to shed light on this troubling case. Regardless of the outcome, the incident highlights the ongoing fight against racism in football — a battle that clearly still needs to be won.
