Real Madrid News
RFEF launches investigation into racist incidents during Oviedo vs Real Madrid
According to Mundo Deportivo, the RFEF Disciplinary Committee has officially opened an extraordinary investigation into the crowd incidents that occurred during the Oviedo-Real Madrid game.
La Liga had previously submitted complaints about the events on August 29, noting that shouts of “uh, uh, uh” were heard from a section of the home stands at two specific moments: the 37th and 63rd minutes of the match.
The first incident happened “after Real Madrid scored their first goal.” As the report explains:
“A group of home fans, located on the side of the pitch, where the visiting players were celebrating and arm in arm, uttered the monkey onomatopoeia, ‘uh, uh,’ without any prior provocation or discussion.”
The second incident targeted Real Madrid’s Brazilian star, Vinicius Jr. The report states,
“In the 63rd minute of the match, when the Real Madrid CF player Vinicius Jr. entered the field of play, a group of local fans again uttered the onomatopoeia of the monkey, ‘uh, uh, uh,’ without any prior provocation or discussion.”
Investigation process and next steps
The RFEF Disciplinary Committee, led by President Maria Josefa Garcia, along with Pablo Mayor, a LaLiga representative, and Francisco Rubio, decided to launch the extraordinary investigation and appointed an investigator to gather all relevant information.
The inquiry will use video footage that aired on Monday, August 25, as well as reports from other media outlets covering the incident.
Once the investigator collects all the evidence, a potential sanction will be communicated to Real Oviedo, allowing the club to present its submissions.
The Disciplinary Committee will then review the findings and propose a sanction if necessary.
According to the process timeline, this procedure could take up to 40 days, potentially concluding by the end of September.
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”.
