Xabi Alonso: Rudiger Alleges Racist Abuse by Cabral
REAL MADRID coach Xabi Alonso said his defender Antonio Rudiger had complained of a racist incident at the end of Sunday's 3-1 Club World Cup win over Mexican club Pachuca.
Rudiger was visibly angered after an exchange of words with Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral after the final whistle and spoke to Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti Abel.
Asked about the incident in the post-match press conference, Alonso said: 'Toni told us something, we support Toni and we will see what happens.
'I think the FIFA protocol has been activated to investigate, but if it has happened, all measures should be taken and we support Antonio because it's something unacceptable.
'In football there is no tolerance for this, and if it happened, then measures should be taken. This is what Antonio has told us and we believe him. It's being investigated now,' he said.
Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano was also asked about the incident but said he was unaware of what had happened.
'I just found out from you, you are letting me know, we did not talk about it in the dressing room, I haven't spoken to Cabral about this, I cannot give you an explanation about it because this is the first (I have heard of) this news,' he said.
'It cannot be justified at all but I will talk to him, I've known him for a little while and and I have never heard of something like that with Pachuca players. I cannot defend my captain at any cost but I will talk about it with him,' he said.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
35 minutes ago
- The Star
Singapore could host Fifa youth competition, says Fifa chief Gianni Infantino
Fifa chief Gianni Infantino (right) and Football Association of Singapore president Forrest Li met after the second session of the Fifa executive football summit in 2025. - GIANNI INFANTINO/INSTAGRAM SINGAPORE: A Fifa youth tournament, potentially a festival for Under-15s, could be held in Singapore in the future, while the Lions could participate in the cross-confederation Fifa Series friendly tournament in 2026. The ideas emerged at a meeting between Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Forrest Li during the June 19-21 Fifa executive football summit 2025 in Miami, one of the host cities of the ongoing Club World Cup in the United States. Infantino confirmed the discussions about the two competitions and told the Fifa website on June 21: 'FAS President Forrest Li and I had a constructive discussion in Miami on how we can continue collaborating to take football forward in his beautiful country. 'When I visited Singapore in 2021, I felt the great passion people in the country have for football, and it reflected in the work being done to grow the game. 'Fifa has an established, fruitful relationship with the FAS through Fifa Forward and Fifa Football for Schools, and I offered Fifa's full support to President Li and his team while congratulating him on his recent election.' As early as 2013, Singapore had expressed its desire to host the Youth World Cup. In 2023, the FAS signed a letter of intent to discuss and consider co-hosting with Indonesia the Under-20 World Cup in 2025 and the Under-17 World Cup between 2025 and 2029. Indonesia had won the hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup, but lost them after it opposed Israel's participation in the tournament. They eventually held the Under-17 World Cup in the same year. Meanwhile, the Fifa Series is a biennial international tournament featuring friendlies between teams from various continents and held in different countries. Croatia emerged champions of the pilot edition in 2024, and the next edition is slated for the March international window in 2026. It remains to be seen if the Lions can accommodate for the Fifa Series as it will host Bangladesh in their final Asian Cup Group C qualifier on March 31. The Straits Times has contacted the FAS for more information, while Li told the Fifa website that he and Infantino had discussed the possibility of Singapore hosting an international event for U-15s. He said: 'We talked about the summer – new initiatives from Fifa about the Fifa Series and also the concept of a Fifa festival for Under-15s,' said Li. 'I think that's a great initiative to get more (Fifa member associations) involved and to help the players feel included and get the chance to experience the best of Fifa's football experience. So, I think that is very exciting.' Li, who is also chairman of Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup champions Lion City Sailors, who made local football history by finishing as Asian Football Confederation Champions League Two runners-up last season, added that the ongoing Club World Cup, an expanded edition featuring 32 teams, is a 'great initiative'. He said: 'Finally we see a lot of excitement… and you see the best clubs from different continents finally playing together. So, this is great.' - The Straits Times/ANN
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Iran face possible 2026 World Cup ban
LONDON: Iran could be barred from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following escalating tensions and rising fears of war with one of the tournament's host nations — the United States. Iran became the sixth Asian team to qualify for the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada next year. But with recent airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities drawing global attention, fears of a full-scale military conflict are mounting, and Team Melli's place in the tournament now hangs in the balance. A suspension is a real possibility, with FIFA having a precedent of barring countries involved in war or international conflict. Russia, for example, remain suspended from all FIFA competitions following their invasion of Ukraine. In the 1990s, both FIFA and UEFA banned Yugoslavia due to the Balkan wars. Given the rising tensions, it appears increasingly unlikely that Iran's players will be allowed to set foot on American soil. Even if Iran are cleared to play, they could be forced to play without their supporters as the country remains under strict US travel restrictions. These restrictions, introduced by Donald Trump in March, also apply to more than 40 countries including Afghanistan, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Any travel exemptions would likely apply only to players and officials, leaving fans locked out of the tournament.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Frimpong ready to fill Alexander-Arnold's 'big shoes' at Liverpool
TRENT Alexander-Arnold left 'big shoes' to fill after leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid last month but new signing Jeremie Frimpong has no doubt he has the ability to replace the England international in the Premier League champions' defence. Frimpong's arrival from Bayer Leverkusen was announced hours after Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid, with the Dutch international becoming Arne Slot's first signing since winning the English top flight. 'Liverpool. It's a big club, so it's big shoes regardless,' Frimpong told Sky Sports in an interview published on Sunday, when asked if he would compete with Conor Bradley to succeed Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool's first choice for right back. 'It's a winning team ... they win trophies for a reason. If you play for a team like Liverpool you have to fill in the shoes and perform. 'I've always believed in myself. I'm a winner. That's what I'm going to bring to the team.' Amsterdam-born Frimpong, who can also play as a winger, spent nine years at Manchester City as a youth player before making his senior debut in 2019 at Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership in his first season. The 24-year-old joined Leverkusen in 2021 and made 34 appearances as they won the Bundesliga in 2023-24. 'The Premier League is the best league in the world. I grew up in Manchester so I always wanted to come back. It was always the plan,' Frimpong said. 'I know what being a champion is like at Bayer Leverkusen, so joining a champion team is a privilege ... to go from watching (Liverpool) to playing for them is crazy. 'The manager has told me how I can help the team and he really likes me as a player. It's given me extra motivation and belief.'
