Entire Valencia team walks off field after alleged racist abuse directed at teammate

Spanish soccer team Valencia CF walked off the field in the first half of a La Liga match Sunday after defender Mouctar Diakhaby allegedly dealt with racist abuse from home team Cadiz. The visitors eventually returned, without Diakhaby, to finish out the game.

In the 29th minute, with the teams tied 1-1, Diakhaby and Cadiz's Juan Cala exchanged words. The situation became heated and Diakhaby had to be held back by players from both teams. After the game, Valencia captain José Luis Gayà told Spanish network Movistar that "Diakhaby told us he heard a racist insult."

Diakhaby received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct during the stoppage in play. After pleading his case to the referee, he walked off the field. His teammates followed, led by Gaya. Cadiz then walked off as well.

About 20 minutes later, Valencia released a statement saying it would return to the game:

"The team has met and decided to return to fight for the badge, but firm in condemning racism around in all its forms," the tweet read in Spanish. A follow-up tweet reiterated support for Diakhaby's actions. 

Players retook the field and resumed play after a five-minute warm-up. Diakhaby was substituted out for Hugo Guillamon, with the defender watching the rest of the game from the stands. Cala finished out the first half but was subbed out during halftime. Cadiz would go on to win 2-1.

In a post-match video interview, Gayà said the whole team was behind Diakhaby: "We supported him at all times. We did what he told us."

Manager Javi Gracia also voiced support for Diakhaby's actions. "I told the fourth official that, during what happened, we protected the attacked player so that more damage would not be caused, and that we did not understand that the player who caused the problem was still allowed on the pitch," he said in a statement.

"What worried me the most was the state of my player. If he had told us that he did not think we should play, we would not have played — at the risk of whatever would have happened. When he said to go back out, I was forced to make the decision to continue playing. We returned with Diakhaby's shirt on the bench and with the intention of dedicating the victory to him."

A lengthier statement from Valencia later clarified that "The Club did not ask the players to return to the pitch. The referee informed the players of the consequences of not going back out onto the field of play. The players, forced to play under threat of penalty after the racist insults and the yellow card to Diakhaby, decided to return to the pitch."

Valencia also said that Diakhaby personally "requested that his teammates return to the pitch to continue the game. They respected his wish."

Cadiz shared a statement after the match condemning racism and xenophobia.

"The club cannot comment on incidents that arise between players during the course of the play, and always demands respect and responsibility from its players in their attitude towards opponents," the team said.

Cala has not yet responded.

"It's lamentable that this kind of thing is still happening in football, and a solution has to be put in place," Gayà said of the ongoing incidents of racism in the sport.

In:
• Racism