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President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva demanded measures from football and punishment to those responsible for the episode of racism suffered by Palmeiras player Luighi during a Libertadores U20 match in Asuncion. 
CBF calls for exclusion from the Cerro Porteño team of the competition/Photo: © Conmebol/Reproduction
“All support for our young Luighi, from Palmeiras, a victim of a racist act in Paraguay. Football means collective work, overcoming and respect. Racism means the failure of humanity. Enough of hatred disguised as rivalry. The world can no longer tolerate this kind of violence that hurts the dignity and hope of our youth. FIFA, Conmebol and CBF need to act and that culprits be exemplary, ”said the president, in posting on the social network X.
Lula has already manifested himself in previous cases, such as the persecution of Spanish fans to Real Madrid player Vinicius Júnior.
The president reinforced the position of the government to combat racism and other forms of prejudice.
Understand the case
The player Luighi, from the Palmeiras Sports Society, was the target of cursing and racist gestures of Cerro Porteño fans at the time he celebrated a goal in the match among the Conmebol Libertadores U-20 Cup in the Paraguayan capital.
The São Paulo team won the Paraguayan team 3-0.
In a press interview after the game, the striker was moved and questioned “until when” actions like this will pass unpunished. He addressed the question to reporters that they did not quote the episode during an interview after the match. The player also charged a position of Conmebol, organizer of the competition.
“What will Conmebol do what about it? What they did to me was a crime, ”said the athlete.
“It hurts the soul. And it’s the same pain that all blacks have felt throughout history, because things evolve, but they are never 100% resolved. Today’s episode leaves scars and needs to be faced as it really is: crime. How long? It is the question that I hope it is not necessary to be asked at some point. For now we keep fighting, ”said Luighi on social networks.
EXCLUSION OF CERRO Porteño
Still on Thursday (6), Conmebol and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have spoken out against racist acts and claimed to reject “categorically every act of racism or discrimination of any kind” and that “appropriate disciplinary measures will be implemented, and other actions are being evaluated in consultation with experts in the area”.
The CBF said it “sent this Friday (7) complaint to Conmebol asking for the punishment of the fans and the exclusion of Cerro Porteño, Paraguay, the Libertadores U20”.
