Sevilla manager Jose Luis Mendilibar has refused to get involved on the topic of racial abuse ahead of his side’s tie with Real Madrid on Saturday evening. The Basque manager told reporters that they were ‘not helping’ by asking so many questions about it.
Speaking ahead of the tie, as captured by El Chiringuito, Mendilibar was asked several questions about what has undoubtedly be the talking point all week in Spain.
The Sevilla coach initially said that he wasn’t thinking about Vinicius, nor the situation he has been plunged into by abuse, but rather Real Madrid and the sporting challenge ahead.
He was then asked whether it was a chance for Sevilla fans to send a message against racism.
“Look, here we are against everything bad that could happen.”
“This now, is becoming a trend, and that’s it. I’ve never been in favour of anything of this sort, and so we are here to talk about football and that’s it.”
🔴😤 El enfado de Mendilibar tras ser preguntado por Vinicius y el racismo:
🙄"Aquí estamos en contra de todo lo malo, pero esto ahora está siendo una moda, punto.
⚽"Vamos a hablar de fútbol que ya se ha hablado suficiente" pic.twitter.com/btaKreM4WC
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 26, 2023
“And look, you’re not helping anything with all of these questions, at all, and I am not by answering. I know why you are here, because you’re new to this, and you’re coming for this reason, but it’s not new.”
Vinicius will not travel to Sevilla, as he has knee discomfort, one of several absences for Los Blancos.
While perhaps Mendilibar felt he was being probed for a sensational headline, many would argue that the fact that racism is being talked about more, and there is greater awareness of it, has been one of the few signs of progress in recent weeks. That it is now dominating the discourse, and there have been harsher sanctions imposed suggests hopefully a change in attitude from at least the authorities towards taking racism seriously.
