Valencia players walk off in game against Cadiz, with club saying Mouctar Diakhaby racially abused
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ByEurosport
Updated 04/04/2021 at 20:13 GMT
Valencia released a statement following the incident: "We offer our complete backing to Mouctar Diakhaby. The player, who had received a racial insult, requested that his teammates return to the pitch. We support you Mouctar. NO TO RACISM." The game resumed after the Valencia players held a meeting over whether to continue
Mouctar Diakhaby
Image credit: Getty Images
Valencia’s players walked off the pitch, and the club issued a statement denouncing racism, following an incident involving Mouctar Diakhaby in their 2-1 loss to Cadiz.
Shortly before the half-hour mark in the Liga game on Sunday, Diakhaby and Cadiz’s Juan Cala squared off on the halfway line. It followed on from a tangle between the two in the Valencia box moments earlier.
Diakhaby had to pulled away from Cala, with the Valencia defender reacting furiously.
The Valencia players left the field a short time afterwards, and the club confirmed a meeting took place over whether to resume playing.
Valencia released a statement - revealing Diakhaby had urged his team to resume the game - while also calling for an end to racism.
Diakhaby, who was handed a yellow card for his reaction, was substituted prior to the game being restarted.
Valencia captain Jose Gaya has claimed the team were told to return to the field by officials otherwise they would forfeit three points, and that Diakhaby gave his blessing for them to play on.
"Diakhaby told us he heard a racist insult so we all went off the pitch. We were told that we had to play because if we didn't they would take the three points off us and maybe we'd be docked more points," Gaya told Movistar. "Diakhaby asked us to play on, we wouldn't have done so if he hadn't done so.
"He said he wasn't in the right state of mind to keep playing. He is devastated."
Gaya added: "It was a very ugly insult which I won't repeat. We haven't been able to speak with Cala because he was the last player to leave the pitch. I'm certain that he said something. It was a very strange game."
Marcos Mauro, who replaced Cala at half-time, struck the winner in the 88th.
Mauro said he knew nothing about the incident but added that Cala was "a great team-mate and very respectful".
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