La Liga, Spain’s top-flight football league, has been grappling with the issue of racism, a problem that its president, Javier Tebas, believes can never be fully eradicated. In a recent interview with the BBC, Tebas expressed his views on the matter, stating that while the league could reduce the number of racist incidents significantly, eliminating the problem entirely is an impossible task.
The issue of racism in La Liga came into sharp focus following an incident involving Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian player was the target of racial abuse during a match against Valencia. This incident led to the arrest of three Valencia fans and the partial closure of their club stadium for five games, along with a fine.
Tebas, in his conversation with the BBC, emphasized the need for greater powers to combat racism in football. He stated, “We are convinced that if we had those powers, within months we will get rid of this problem or at least we would improve it considerably“. However, he also acknowledged the limitations, saying, “Eliminating this problem 100% will never be possible, the same way that totally eliminating robberies and other crimes is impossible“.
Despite the challenges, Tebas remains hopeful. He believes that if La Liga were given the necessary powers, they could significantly reduce racism in Spanish football within six to seven months. This statement, while optimistic, also underscores the systemic issues that football, and society at large, face when dealing with racism.
The fight against racism in football is a long and arduous journey. It requires not just the efforts of the leagues and clubs, but also the active participation of fans and society. As Tebas rightly pointed out, it may not be possible to eliminate the problem entirely, but with the right measures and powers, we can certainly make significant strides towards reducing it.
