Women’s players arrested over alleged racist incident in Brazil

4 River Plate girls’s gamers had been arrested by Sao Paulo police and accused of constructing a racial slur, Sao Paulo’s public safety secretariat advised The Related Press on Saturday.

On Friday, a Brazil Girls Cup semifinal between Argentina’s River Plate and Brazilian group Grêmio was stopped within the first half after River Plate’s Candela Díaz was accused of constructing monkey gestures to a ball boy, in response to broadcast footage and native media experiences.

Díaz was detained together with teammates Juana Cangaro, Milagros Naiquen Diaz, and Camila Ayelen Duarte, the gamers’ lawyer, Thais Sankari, advised The AP. They remained in custody on Saturday.

Sankari stated the River Plate gamers reacted solely after being provoked.

“We see on this determination an amazing arbitrariness and the Brazilian judiciary’s need to ship a message. They used this case for that function,” she stated.

After Díaz’s gestures on Friday, the Grêmio gamers walked off in protest. The referee confirmed pink playing cards to 6 River Plate gamers following an on-field combat and ended the match as a result of there was not the minimal variety of gamers required to proceed.

The rating was 1-1 however the referee awarded the match to Grêmio, which can play within the match ultimate on Sunday.

The Brazil Girls Cup banned River Plate from the match for 2 years on Saturday.

Match organisers stated in a press release on Saturday that future editions will instantly ban any taking part group whose athletes or workers “have interaction in racist gestures on the enjoying discipline.”

“The organisation reaffirms its anti-racist stance and emphasizes that it’ll by no means tolerate such incidents,” organisers stated.

Grêmio stated on X it was supporting its gamers, who would file a police report.

“We remorse what occurred and condemn any discriminatory acts,” the group stated within the assertion.

Grêmio coach Thaissan Passos stated her gamers advised her River Plate gamers had beforehand referred to as them “monkeys.”

“Incidents like this can’t hold taking place. How lengthy will we hold pretending racism does not exist?” she advised native broadcaster SporTV.

Díaz has not commented publicly.

River Plate additionally condemned the discriminatory gestures. The membership stated in a press release on X it was “taking the suitable disciplinary measures and can proceed working to eradicate such conduct.”