Real Madrid News
Real Oviedo issue apology to Mbappe and Real Madrid over racist abuse at stadium
It was reported yesterday that a Real Oviedo fan, who was caught showing a racist gesture at Kylian Mbappe, has been arrested.
The incident took place on August 24, when Real Madrid travelled to Carlos Tartiere Stadium to face Real Oviedo in their second game of the season.
The national police confirmed the arrest of the fan, classifying the act as both a crime against moral integrity and hate crime.
Real Oviedo issues update and an apology
As reported by AS, Real Oviedo has issued an update on the matter as well as a public apology to Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe.
The club explained that it currently does not have access to the identity of the accused due to data protection laws.
Once the information is formally communicated, disciplinary measures will be handled by the club’s Social Disciplinary Committee.
“The club strongly rejects any type of behavior that violates violence, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance in sport,” the statement read.
The report cites that Oviedo will “act with all the strictness that is statutorily possible to eradicate this type of attitude in our stadium.”
While stressing that the actions were an isolated case and not reflective of the broader fanbase, Oviedo also issued a direct apology.
“The club offers a sincere apology to both Real Madrid and its player Kylian Mbappe, who was the target of this regrettable event,” the statement concluded.
Real Oviedo’s swift actions, coupled with a public apology, do not mar the rather alarming fact that a fan of a newly-promoted club in Spain still had the gall of throwing racist gestures to a player, in a top-flight game.
This doesn’t reflect well for the Spanish footballing community, in general, and if things don’t improve soon, La Liga’s reputation will continue to get tarnished.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
