Alonso says Rudiger complained of racist insult

Rudiger was visibly angered after an exchange of words with Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral after the final whistle and spoke to Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti Abel.
23 Jun 2025 09:21am
Staff members separate Carlos Moreno #25 of CF Pachuca from Antonio Ruediger #22 of Real Madrid during an altercation in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Real Madrid CF and CF Pachuca at Bank of America Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Pelham / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Charlotte, June 22, 2025 (AFP) - Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said his defender Antonio Rudiger had complained of a racist incident at the end of Sunday's 3-1 Club World Cup win over Mexican club Pachuca.
Rudiger was visibly angered after an exchange of words with Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral after the final whistle and spoke to Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti Abel. Xabi Alonso manager of Real Madrid before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Real Madrid CF and CF Pachuca at Bank of America Stadium on June 22, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Richard Pelham / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Asked about the incident in the post-match press conference, Alonso said: "Toni told us something, we support Toni and we will see what happens.
"I think the FIFA protocol has been activated to investigate, but if it has happened, all measures should be taken and we support Antonio because it's something unacceptable.
"In football there is no tolerance for this, and if it happened, then measures should be taken. This is what Antonio has told us and we believe him. It's being investigated now," he said.
Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano was also asked about the incident but said he was unaware of what had happened.
"I just found out from you, you are letting me know, we did not talk about it in the dressing room, I haven't spoken to Cabral about this, I cannot give you an explanation about it because this is the first (I have heard of) this news," he said.
"It cannot be justified at all but I will talk to him, I've known him for a little while and and I have never heard of something like that with Pachuca players. I cannot defend my captain at any cost but I will talk about it with him," he said.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. - AFP

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

The Star

3 hours ago

• The Star

Indonesia arrests 285 in drug crackdown and seizes over half a ton of narcotics

A number of suspected drug smugglers are presented to the media during a press conference at the Indonesian Customs Office in Jakarta, on Monday, June 23, 2025, following the uncovering of some 172 international drug smuggling cases from April to June 2025, with a total of 285 suspects arrested. - Photo by ADITYA IRAWAN / AFP JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP): Indonesian authorities said Monday they arrested 285 people suspected of drug trafficking, including 29 women and seven foreigners, and seized over half a ton of various narcotics during a two-monthlong nationwide crackdown. Indonesia is a major hub for drug trafficking in South-East Asia despite having strict drug laws, with convicted smugglers sometimes executed by firing squad. The head of the National Narcotic Agency, Marthinus Hukom, said the crackdown, launched between April and June across 20 provinces, also uncovered money laundering schemes by two drug syndicates and confiscated assets worth more than 26 billion rupiah (about $1.5 million). Thirty-six of the suspects, including 21 women, were paraded in front of reporters, along with confiscated drugs, in their orange prison uniforms and hands handcuffed. Hukom said the women arrested were mostly housewives. "I call on Indonesian women to be more vigilant in establishing friendships both in the real world and in cyberspace,' he said during a joint press conference with officials from the security affairs ministry and the customs office who took part in the operation. One of the agency's deputies, Budi Wibowo, said authorities seized 683,885 grams (0.68 ton) of crystal meth, marijuana, ecstasy, THC, hashish and amphetamines, adding this helped stop them falling into the hands of "more than 1.3 million people.' Wibowo also said that drug syndicates have used various methods to distribute narcotics to users via land and sea transportation or mail services. The seven foreign nationals were an American, two Kazakhs, two Malaysians, an Indian and an Australian, Wibowo said. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. In a separate operation, authorities in the province of Riau Island, exposed in May two cases of drug smuggling in its waters and seized 2.7 tons of crystal methamphetamine and 1.2 tons of ketamine, Hukom said Monday. In 2023, authorities uncovered more than 52,000 of drug cases and confiscated 6.2 tons of crystal meth, 1.1 tons of marijuana and other types of synthetic narcotics, said Mochammad Hasan of the ministry of security affairs during the press conference. Hasan said the number increased in 2024 with more than 56,000 cases and confiscated 7.5 tons of crystal meth and 3.3 tons of marijuana, with a combine value worth 7.5 trillion rupiah ($454.6 million). Authorities have arrested a total of 27,357 drug suspects by November 2024, he said. Early this month, three British nationals accused of smuggling nearly a kilogram (over two pounds) of cocaine into Indonesia were charged in a court on the tourist island of Bali. They face the death penalty under the country's strict drug laws. About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' data showed. Indonesia's last executions, of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016. - AP

New Straits Times

4 hours ago

• New Straits Times

JDT signs Harimau Malaya centre-back Irazabal for new season

KUALA LUMPUR: Spanish-born centre-back Jon Irazabal has become Johor Darul Ta'zim's (JDT) latest signing ahead of the 2025-2026 M-League season. The 29-year-old joins the Super League champions after three solid seasons with Azerbaijan's Sabah FC, where he made 79 appearances and scored five goals. Irazabal, who made his debut for Harimau Malaya in a 4-0 win over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier at Bukit Jalil on June 10, will wear the No. 17 jersey at JDT. He is expected to strengthen the Southern Tigers' backline under newly appointed head coach Xisco Munoz. Irazabal becomes the fourth new face unveiled by JDT, following the arrivals of Spanish defender Antonio Glauder, Brazilian attacker Jairo Da Silva and defender Ibrahim Manusi. JDT will kick off their pre-season with a tour of Spain from July 3-22, with one of the highlights being a friendly against newly promoted La Liga side Levante UD. Meanwhile, Fergus Tierney has signed with Super League side Sabah for the upcoming season. "We welcome our new forward, Fergus, who joins us after completing his loan with Thai League side Nakhon Pathom United and previously with JDT," the club announced on Facebook. "Part of Malaysia's national team, and now, part of our family. A new chapter begins." The 22-year-old Scottish-Malaysian forward has been on fans' radar since making his senior debut for Harimau Malaya late last year. Tierney was called up for the national training camp in November 2024 for friendlies against Laos and India, replacing the injured Romel Morales. He earned his first cap on Nov 14, 2024, in a 3-1 win over Laos, and scored his first international goal on Dec 8, 2024, in a 2-2 draw with Cambodia during the Asean Cup.

The Sun

5 hours ago

• The Sun

Israeli strike on Tehran jail ‘irresponsible': French prisoner's sister

PARIS: An Israeli strike on Evin prison in Tehran on Monday is completely irresponsible and puts prisoners 'in mortal danger', said Noemie Kohler, the sister of French national Cecile Kohler who is jailed there. Iran's judiciary said Israeli strikes left sections of the facility damaged and Israel's defence minister confirmed the army was targeting it. Cecile Kohler has been held along with her partner Jacques Paris in Evin since May 2022 on espionage charges their families reject. Overall, Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals in what some Western governments describe as a strategy of hostage-taking aimed at extracting concessions from the West. Most are held in Evin, a large, heavily fortified complex notorious among activists for rights abuses. It is located in a northern district of the Iranian capital. 'This strike is completely irresponsible. Cecile, Jacques and all the prisoners are in mortal danger,' Noemie Kohler told AFP. 'This is really the worst thing that could have happened,' she added. 'We have no news, we don't know if they are still alive, we're panicking,' Noemie Kohler said. She urged the French authorities to 'condemn these extremely dangerous strikes' and secure the release of the French prisoners. She also expressed concern about the risk of 'chaos' and 'riots'. Noemie Kohler has tirelessly campaigned to secure the release of her sister and her sister's partner Jacques Paris. Chirinne Ardakani, a lawyer for the Kohler family, denounced the strikes as 'illegal'. 'The risk of riots, general confusion and reprisals by the security forces against the insurgent prisoners raises fears of bloodshed,' she told AFP. 'Both sides are playing with people's lives.' The Iranian judiciary's website, Mizan Online, said that the prison buildings remained 'under control.'