Pachuca boss defends his captain after racism row with Real Madrid defender – ‘Can put my hands in fire for him’ | OneFootball

Pachuca head coach Jaime Lozano has come out in defence of his captain Gustavo Cabral, who has been accused of making racist comments towards Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger during their Club World Cup encounter.

The incident took place at the end of the match, when the two players clashed, prompting referee Ramon Abatti to intervene and activate FIFA’s anti-racism protocol by making an ‘X’ gesture with his arms.

Rudiger was seen on the ground holding his face after a confrontation with Cabral. The two then exchanged words before being separated by the referee.

Moments later, Rudiger approached the referee again, which led to the formal signalling of a possible racist incident, requiring FIFA to investigate.

Lozano supports his player

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Lozano admitted that he had only just become aware of the situation. “I only found out now that you’re telling me,” said the Pachuca coach.

Rudiger and Cabral clashed at full-time. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

“We haven’t spoken about this in the dressing room. I haven’t had the chance to speak with Cabral, so I can’t offer an explanation or a justification at this moment,” he said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

While firmly acknowledging that racism has no place in football, Lozano stood by his player’s character.

“Nothing justifies this sort of behaviour, but knowing Gustavo, I can say this has never happened before, not with him or any of our players in this league. I can put my hands in the fire for my captain,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid and manager Xabi Alonso have shown full support for Rudiger, insisting that they believe the German defender and trust that FIFA will handle the matter appropriately.

As of now, FIFA has not released an official statement, but an investigation is underway. We now await further clarity on an incident that has added a serious note to what should have been a celebration of football on the world stage.