Game in Brazil
Four players arrested for racism scandal
12/22/2024 – 2:42 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Football took a back seat: a racist incident occurred during a game in Brazil. Four players from an Argentine club were temporarily arrested.
Four female footballers from top Argentine club River Plate were temporarily arrested in São Paulo for racist gestures and insults. The incident occurred during a Ladies Cup match against Brazilian club Gremio Porto Alegre.
The escalation was triggered by a gesture from River player Candela Díaz. After Gremio’s equalizer, she is said to have insulted a black ball boy with an imitation of a monkey. Gremio players also reported further racist and xenophobic comments from their opponents.
The tumultuous game ended prematurely after six River Plate players were shown red cards. The four accused footballers were arrested after questioning on Friday evening. The time in custody was later extended.
River Plate strongly condemned the “discriminatory gestures” in a statement. The club said it had taken disciplinary action and was working to prevent such behavior in the future. The organizers of the tournament announced clear signals against racism for the final between Gremio and Bahia on Sunday.