La Liga launches investigation into racist incident against Marcus Rashford! | OneFootball

It's unfortunate that such things happen in La Liga.

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The relative peace of the new La Liga season has been shattered by a disturbing and familiar disgrace. A shadow was cast over Barcelona's 3-1 midweek victory over Real Oviedo, as viral social media videos captured forward Marcus Rashford being targeted with racist chants from the stands.

This incident has now prompted an official investigation from the league, forcing Spanish football to once again confront a persistent demon.

The case is further complicated by an apparent breakdown in the official anti-racism protocol. Regulations stipulate that upon hearing racist abuse, a public warning must be issued in the stadium, followed by the identification and removal of the perpetrators. However, these crucial steps were not taken, and the full extent of the incident only emerged after the final whistle.

The targeting of Rashford is a painful echo of the repeated racist abuse suffered most notably by Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior in recent years, incidents that have repeatedly stained the league's reputation. In response to past episodes, Spanish authorities have deployed a range of measures, from imposing financial penalties and partial stadium closures on clubs to pursuing criminal prosecution against individual offenders. It now remains to be seen what action will be taken as this latest chapter unfolds.