Valencia players walk off in protest
(Picture: Valencia CF/Twitter)Valencia players walked off the pitch during their La Liga game with Cadiz on Sunday amid allegations defender Mouctar Diakhaby was subjected to racist abuse.
The incident occurred during the first-half of the match in Cadiz, with Diakhaby visibly upset after an altercation with Cadiz defender Juan Cala.
Cala and Diakhaby exchanged words and Valencia players eventually grouped together and left the field.
They later returned and Valencia said in a statement the team decided to return to the field after a request by Diakhaby.
“The team have held a meeting and decided to continue the game, in order to fight for the honor of the club, but denounce racism of any kind,” it said in its Twitter account in English.
We offer our complete backing to @Diakhaby_5
— Valencia CF 🦇🍊🌊 (@valenciacf_en) April 4, 2021
The player, who had received a racial insult, requested that his teammates return to the pitch.
WE SUPPORT YOU MOUCTAR
𝗡𝗢 𝗧𝗢 𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗠 ✊🏽✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/iPtPSpdNYv
“The player, who had received a racial insult, requested that his teammates return to the pitch.”
“Valencia said it offered its “complete backing” to Diakhaby. “WE SUPPORT YOU MOUCTAR,” it wrote.
In a statement, Cadiz said: “The Cádiz Football Club, given the events that occurred in the match against the Valencia Football Club, wants to make the following considerations:
“- We are against any situation of racism or xenophobia, whoever its author is, and we work for its eradication. All the perpetrators of these crimes, whether or not they are from our team, must pay for it.
“- We do not doubt the honesty of all the members of our squad, who are firm defenders of the fight against racism, whose attitude has always been exemplary in all the matches that have been played.
“- The entity cannot enter to assess the issues of the game between the players, and we always demand an attitude of respect and responsibility towards the opponents.
“- We work and we will continue working so that in our football there is no xenophobic behaviour, with a ‘NO TO RACISM’ with all its forcefulness.”
