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Brazilian club promises to punish racist fans

Brazilian club Gremio has promised to help identify and punish the fans who taunted a player in the latest case of racism to taint the national game

The Jakarta Post
Brazil
Sat, August 30, 2014

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Brazilian club promises to punish racist fans

B

razilian club Gremio has promised to help identify and punish the fans who taunted a player in the latest case of racism to taint the national game.

The club said Friday it will do all it can to find the fans responsible for monkey taunts directed at Santos goalkeeper Aranha in Thursday's Brazilian Cup match in Porto Alegre.

Aranha complained after the slurs were chanted behind his goal near the end of Santos' 2-0 win at Arena Gremio.

Gremio said it will analyze television images and security camera images to try to identify the fans. One young woman can be clearly seen yelling "monkey" from the stands. Local media said she was identified though social media networks and reportedly was suspended from her job because of the case's repercussion.

"Gremio will do everything possible to help the police find the truth and those responsible for those acts," club president Fabio Koff told a news conference. "The punishment will be rigorous. We obviously regret what happened."

The club said it had initially identified "about five" of the fans and was already working to ban them from the team's stadium. It said it was still working with local authorities to try to identify other fans.

Aranha filed a police report on Friday to formalize his complaint. He said fans also made monkey noises toward him.

The match was briefly interrupted as the goalkeeper talked to the referee, making monkey gestures and pointing to the fans.

The incident was included by the referee in the match report and Gremio is expected to face a suspension. The team was fined about $35,000 earlier this year for fans' racist insults against another player at the Arena Gremio.

"Unfortunately we live in a racist country," said Gremio midfielder Ze Roberto, who played for Brazil at the 2006 World Cup. "If there are images showing who's responsible for this, then there needs to be a punishment."

Santos striker Robinho, who has played in Spain, England and Italy, said that such incidents have to be taken seriously by local authorities.

"In Europe we have severe punishment for cases like this. Maybe it's what needs to start happening here," he said. "They need to identify the fans and really punish them."

Before the World Cup, Brazil defender Dani Alves was targeted by racist fans while playing for Barcelona in Spain, igniting a social media campaign against racism led by Brazil teammate Neymar.

In April, a Brazilian sports tribunal stripped points from minnow Brazilian club Esportivo after its fans racially abused a referee during a match. The points deduction led to its relegation in a regional championship in southern Brazil.

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