Opposing fan imitated a monkey toward the player and spit on him while heading to the bench; Case occurred during the departure of Libertadores under-20
He denounced the lack of action of the Paraguayan authorities against the case of suffering by striker Luighi, during the match against the Libertadores under-20. The episode took place on Thursday (6), when an opposing fan imitated a monkey toward the player and spit on him while heading to the bench. The director of Palmeiras base categories, João Paulo Sampaio, said that the club’s attempts to seek support were ignored.
According to Sampaio, neither the Paraguayan police nor the arbitration answered complaints about the case. The deputy delegate and Banco do Cerro Porteño also minimized the situation, treating it as a “provocation.” In addition, he pointed out that Paraguay’s legislation does not provide for severe punishment for racism crimes. “Last year’s law speaks only of prevention. In Paraguay, racism is not a crime, ”said the leader. For this reason, the club chose not to register an occurrence in a local police station.
Given the severity of the case, the president of Palmeiras, Leila Pereira, contacted the presidents of CBF and Conmebol, charging measures. The club also called FIFA to evaluate possible sanctions. Despite the international repercussion, Sampaio stated that the case had little attention in the Paraguayan media and in the country in general. “We did not see any communication vehicles dealing with the subject. In Paraguay, there is no punishment for that, ”he said.
Palmeiras considered the possibility of removing the field team in protest, but chose to remain in the competition to avoid possible sports punishments. Sampaio recalled the case of midfielder Bruno Tabata, who was suspended for four months by Conmebol after reacting to racist insults in 2023, also against Cerro Porteño. “If we left the field, we would give the racist victory. They will not win, ”said the leader. The Palmeirense cast will use competition as a form of response to the episode. “We are classified for the semifinal and we will go even more strength to seek this title,” concluded Sampaio.
Conmebol issued an official note repudiating the act and promised to investigate the case. In Brazil, clubs such as Sao Paulo, Corinthians and Santos also expressed support for Luighi and charged stricter punishments for cases of racism in South American football.
Published by Felipe Dantas
*Report produced with the aid of AI
