Racially abused goalkeeper suspended for confronting fans in Spain, team forfeits game

Cheikh Sarr was suspended for two matches from Spain’s third tier after receiving a red card following an altercation with an opposition fan who racially abused him.

Rayo Majadahonda goalkeeper Sarr was sent off late into the contest against Sestao last week. It came after he jumped into the stands and confronted a supporter who had repeatedly insulted him during the match.

With the team down to nine men, his teammates followed the Senegaless goalkeeper into the dressing room, denouncing the “unacceptable racist insults”.

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) acknowledged Sarr was “seriously offended”, but banned him for his reaction.

They also criticised Sarr and his teammates for not reporting the racist chants when it had first started.

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Sestao, meanwhile, were fined 6,000 euros and ordered to play their next two home games behind closed doors, but were awarded a 3-0 forfeit victory.

The Spanish media called on authorities not to sanction Sarr if Spain “really wants to end racism” in stadiums.

“The victim cannot be punished,” read a headline in sports daily Marca.

Sarr said what he had suffered “was something horrible, something that I could not bear, very sad”, in a press conference on Tuesday.

“My daughter deserves a better world. I am fighting and will fight for her,” he added in an Instagram post.