Getafe president Angel Torres has claimed that midfielder Chrisantus Uche ‘made a complete mistake’ in his candid appraisal of LaLiga referees and accusations of racial abuse.
The Nigerian began his professional career in Spain with regional side Moralo CP before he was snapped up by Getafe this summer, where he has made seven appearances in all competitions.
The 21-year-old shared his experiences of the Spanish top-flight in a recent interview, alleging discriminatory treatment by official and racist abuse from some supporters.
But his club’s president has hit back at the accusations and said the midfielder’s statement may have been made in error, while laying the blame at the feet of the interviewer.
‘He has made a complete mistake,’ Torres told El Chiringuito TV. ‘I will talk to him as I haven’t seen the full interview.
Chrisantus Uche believes he has been on the receiving end of unfair treatment by referees and abuse from fans
Getafe president Angel Torres reacted by claiming that the player ‘made a complete mistake’
‘I don’t want to justify it but someone who doesn’t speak Spanish, who has a microphone placed in front of him, it seems to me that the journalist is more at fault.’
In his scathing assessment of life in LaLiga, Uche criticised referees for not awarding him fouls that are normally given to other players.
‘First two or three matches in LaLiga I saw it with my eyes,’ He told ESPN Africa. ‘The referees, they are so bad.
‘They will kick me and the referee will just say I should stand up. No, it’s a foul, you have to blow but they kick another person the referee will just blow it and it’s so painful you can’t do anything about it.
‘You don’t have any power because the referee has all the power to do whatever he wants to do. No, he has to stop it.
‘Me, I will fall down in front of the referee and he will not do anything. It’s not good. Some fans will be [shouting] p*** n****, you are a n****, this and that.
The 21-year-old took issue with fouls he believes have been unfairly denied, while also calling out vile chants from supporter
‘No, it’s not good, it’s not good.’
It is the latest example of the Spanish top-flight’s unusual reaction to claims of racism made by star players in the league.
Earlier this month, La Liga president Javier Tebas brushed aside Vinicius Junior’s suggestion that Spain should not host the World Cup in 2030 unless action is taken over racism.
The Brazilian forward made claimed the option of removing the nation as a co-host should be explored in a bid to tackle discrimination.
Two-time Champions League winner and Ballon d’Or contender Vinicius Jr has been the target of racist abuse on 16 occasions in the last 18 months while playing for Real Madrid.
Spain are due to serve as one of three main hosts of the tournament with Morocco and Portugal, while Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will host the first three games.
Tebas dismissed Vinicius Jr’s statement as ‘incoherent’, as reported by Football Espana.
Earlier this month, LaLiga president Javier Tebas brushed aside Vinicus Jr’s suggestion that Spain should be stripped of the right to host World Cup matches with their ongoing racism issue
The Brazilian forward has been the target of racist abuse on 16 occasions in the last 18 months while playing for Real Madrid
He said: ‘I think that, if you look, you will see that his statements were not entirely consistent with what he himself says in the interview.
‘At the same time that he was saying that perhaps the World Cup should be re-considered, he was also saying that Spain is not a racist country.
‘Let’s remove what is incoherent and keep what is coherent: that Spain is not a racist country, and on that I agree with Vinicius.’
