Dani Alves, the Brazilian defender for FC Barcelona, has called for the young Villarreal supporter who threw a banana at him to be reinstated in his job. The incident occurred during a match at the Madrigal stadium in Villarreal, where Alves responded to the racist act by eating the banana before continuing with the game.
In an interview with Catalan radio Rac1, Alves expressed his concern for the young man who lost his job and is facing potential legal repercussions. He believes the act was meant as a joke and hopes the young man didn’t fully understand the implications of his actions.
While the incident sparked widespread condemnation, including support from Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Neymar, African stars, and FIFA President Joseph Blatter, Alves refuses to label Spain as a racist country. However, he acknowledges the existence of racism in Spain, noting that it’s been a consistent issue during his 11 years in the country.
Villarreal has been fined €12,000 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for the incident, but the Interior Ministry’s Anti-Violence Commission intends to appeal for a harsher penalty. Additionally, the commission plans to convene soon to discuss the increasing number and severity of racist incidents in stadiums.
Tags: Dani Alves, FC Barcelona, Villarreal, racism, Spain, banana incident
