Santa Fe fans make racist gestures at Corinthians after Libertadores | OneFootball

The draw between Corinthians and Independiente Santa Fe, in the fourth round of the Conmebol Libertadores group stage, ended with a regrettable incident at El Campín Stadium in Bogotá. After the final whistle of Wednesday’s match (6), fans of the Colombian team made racist gestures toward Corinthians supporters in the away section.

The images were recorded by the profile “Casal Coringão” and quickly spread across social media. In one of the videos released, a Santa Fe supporter is seen mimicking a monkey while taunting members of the black-and-white crowd. Others at the scene were also seen hurling insults and abuse at the Brazilians. So far, neither Independiente Santa Fe nor Conmebol has officially commented on the case. Behind the scenes, however, Corinthians has already begun taking steps to demand action.

Photo: Reproduction / Casal Coringão

The acting president of the club’s Deliberative Council and coordinator of the Supporters Support Group (GAT) for away matches, Leonardo Pantaleão, confirmed that Timão intends to seek punishment for those involved.

“We have already spoken internally and will take the necessary measures in pursuit of punishment. This should have ended long ago. It is a crime and must be punished,” he said.

The episode occurred in a round that was specifically marked by the “Respect Starts” campaign, promoted by Conmebol before Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana matches with a focus on fighting racism and discrimination in South American football.

Despite the institutional actions, new cases continue to occur frequently in continental competitions. In recent weeks, fans of Brazilian clubs have also reported similar incidents involving Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo, and Estudiantes in matches against Cruzeiro, Santos, and Flamengo.

Conmebol’s disciplinary regulations provide for severe punishments in cases of racism committed by supporters. Possible sanctions include fines of up to US$400,000 in repeat offenses, as well as matches behind closed doors, crowd restrictions, and other disciplinary measures.

Corinthians itself was recently the victim of a similar situation. In 2023, Sebastian Avellino Vargas, fitness coach of Universitario of Peru, was even detained after making racist gestures toward Corinthians fans at Neo Química Arena in a Copa Sudamericana match.

On the field, Corinthians and Santa Fe drew 1-1. The result kept the São Paulo club at the top of Libertadores Group E, with ten points won. Timão’s next match will be on Sunday (10), at 6:30 p.m., against São Paulo at Neo Química Arena, in the Brazilian Championship.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.