Thaylor Lubanzadio Aldama: reacting to abuse can make you the culprit | OneFootball

As reported by as.com, nine years ago in the Copa Federación, Thaylor Lubanzadio Aldama suffered racist abuse during Real Unión v Atlético Saguntino. He was banned for four matches for insulting the officials, while the abuser received none.

Raised in Bilbao with Congolese and Basque roots, the forward came through Danok Bat and Celta, then featured for Eibar and Athletic reserves. He spent years across Segunda B before moving to Malta, where he is in his fourth year. He won the league and Supercopa in year one and recently lifted the Jubilee Cup with Valletta CF.

Lubanzadio has used spare hours to write 'Identidad en juego', an autobiographical look at identity and racism in Spanish football. He stresses education, has shared round tables with Javier Tebas and Elma Saiz, and his views were considered in creating a LaLiga support tool for players facing discrimination.

He says prejudice persists. LaLiga’s Mood tool identified Lamine Yamal as last season’s most abused player, with Brahim Díaz next. Reflecting on incidents involving Vinicius and Alejandro Balde, he argues that reacting to slurs can shift the spotlight onto the victim, and that younger players may only feel the impact later.

He recalls a youth derby at Lezama when a parent hurled a racist insult, a moment he only grasped with age. He remains unsure whether the March ban hindered his Eibar prospects. Looking ahead, he wants to become a sporting director, ideally at Athletic, drawing inspiration from Lilian Thuram and Alberto Edjogo-Owono.

Source: as.com