Dani Alves has publicly defended the young Villarreal supporter who threw a banana at him during a match, urging the club to reinstate the person’s job. Alves expressed that his primary concern was that the young man lost his job as a result of the incident. The Brazilian defender stated that he didn’t intend to cause harm and believed the action may have been a misguided joke, noting that people had overreacted to the situation.
The young man, who worked for a lower-division Villarreal team, was arrested after the match and could face up to three years in prison for inciting discrimination. His identity has been kept confidential by the club. Despite the controversy, Alves showed sympathy, explaining that the person might not have fully understood the consequences of his actions.
The incident occurred during a match on April 27, when a banana was thrown at Alves while he was about to take a corner. Alves humorously picked up the banana, peeled it, and took a bite before continuing with the game. His reaction went viral and garnered widespread support, including from Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Neymar, other African stars, and FIFA President Joseph Blatter.
Alves, however, chose not to generalize about Spain being a racist country. Instead, he acknowledged that racism exists in Spain, but emphasized that it is not a reflection of the entire nation. He reiterated that he had been living in Spain for 11 years, and unfortunately, the issue of racism had persisted throughout his time there.
As a result of the incident, Villarreal was fined €12,000 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), although the club was not required to close its stadium. The Spanish Ministry’s Anti-Violence Commission has expressed its intention to appeal the penalty, calling for a heavier sanction. The commission also plans to hold a meeting to address the growing number and severity of racist incidents in Spanish football.
