Asia faces racism! Japanese defender Kita was racially insulted, prompting the referee to halt the game at the 94th minute before it eventually resumed to finish.
Another scandal erupted in Spain's Segunda Division during the match between Real Sociedad B and Gasteiz last Saturday, with Real Sociedad winning 4-2.
Referee Alonso de Ena Wolf invoked anti-racism measures in injury time at the 94th minute after Kazunari Kita, Japanese defender of Real Sociedad B, reported that Alberto Jiménez, Spanish defender of Gasteiz, directed racist slurs at him.
According to the official referee report, Jiménez shouted “p* chino” (a racist slur roughly translating as “damn Chinese”), a derogatory term used with racist intent, wrongly assuming Kita was Chinese, though Kita is Japanese.
However, the report also stated that no referee officials actually heard the insult directly. The referee made an 'X' hand signal then approached Kita to ask if he wished to continue playing. When Kita chose to stay on the field, the match resumed until full time.
Spanish football's anti-racism protocol requires an immediate stop of the match and potential abandonment if incidents persist. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will conduct a thorough investigation. Should Alberto Jiménez be found guilty, he could face a lengthy suspension and a substantial fine.
Just a week earlier, a similar incident occurred in La Liga during the Elche versus Espanyol match, which was halted after Moroccan defender Omar El Hilali complained of racist insults from Elche's Rafa Mir.
Notably, Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior was verbally abused again during a Champions League match against Benfica last February, underscoring that racism remains a persistent, unresolved issue in Spanish football leagues.