Portuguesa identify those behind racist abuse of Corinthians goalkeeper

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Central do Timão

·24 février 2026

Portuguesa identify those behind racist abuse of Corinthians goalkeeper

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the night of last Sunday (22), Corinthians faced Portuguesa at Estádio do Canindé in a single match for the quarterfinals of the 2026 Campeonato Paulista, and advanced to the state semifinals by winning on penalties 8 x 7, after a 1 x 1 draw in regular time, where striker Vitinho scored the Corinthians goal in stoppage time.

The match was also marked by a negative episode, in which Corinthians goalkeeper Hugo Souza suffered racist abuse from Portuguesa fans as he left the pitch towards the locker room. On Tuesday (24), Portuguesa announced on its social media that the two fans responsible for the insults had been identified and consequently removed from Lusa’s membership program.

Vidéos OneFootball

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

In addition, the individuals will have their identities forwarded to the appropriate authorities. The club emphasized that it does not condone any type of discrimination and reaffirmed its commitment to a thorough investigation of the facts. Both Corinthians, Hugo Souza himself, and the Paulista Football Federation (FPF) also issued statements about the situation last Monday (23).

Read the official statement from Portuguesa below:

Official statement – Hugo Souza

Portuguesa SAF informs that it has identified the perpetrators of the racist abuse suffered by goalkeeper Hugo Souza, of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, in the match last Sunday (22), at Estádio do Canindé. We also announce that they have been removed from our membership program and that their identities will be forwarded to the authorities. We reiterate our repudiation of these acts, which do not represent our values or those of our supporters, and we will not tolerate any kind of discriminatory behavior.

Recall the case

According to images released by Jovem Pan Esportes, the goalkeeper was insulted as he left the pitch towards the locker rooms, after giving interviews and speaking with influencers. Still in the stands, at least two fans called the player “favelado” and “piolhento” (“slum dweller” and “lousy”), as well as shouting phrases like “cut that hair” and “toothless.”

Even with military police present at the scene, the insults continued until another fan tried to calm the situation, asking for the abuse to stop. The episode only ended when Hugo Souza entered the tunnel to the locker rooms. Since the incident occurred after the end of the match, it was not recorded in the match report, as referee Raphael Claus and his team were no longer on the field.

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