Getafe president Angel Torres has criticised his player Christantus Uche following the Nigerian midfielder’s complaints about racism and treatment by referees in La Liga.
Uche, in his first season with Getafe after joining from lower-league side Ceuta, had voiced his concerns about the racism he says he has experienced from fans and inconsistent refereeing decisions, claiming that officials often ignored fouls committed against him but quickly blew the whistle when similar incidents were made on others.
The 21-year-old said that supporters would be “hailing you ‘f****** black,’ you are a ‘black this, that,” while adding that the referees are “so bad” in an interview with ESPN.
Torres, however, dismissed Uche’s comments, suggesting that the player should hold off on speaking out until he’s experienced Spanish football for a longer period.
“He doesn’t understand,” Torres told El Partidazo de COPE. “How can he tell you that? He can’t tell you that. I think you should be more correct and respectful with those things.
“When he’s spent a year here, two years and he understands Spanish, he can say what he wants. But now… we hope that the corresponding committees understand it and that it’s simply a warning.”
Pressed on Uche’s criticism of referees, Torres added: “I don’t want to blame or (say) the person who interviewed him is the only one to blame but from now on what he’ll (Uche) have to do is not speak.”
Despite the issues raised, Uche remained positive about his opportunity to play in La Liga, calling it a “dream come true” to compete against teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The Athletic has contacted Getafe for comment.
Racism has been a recurring issue in Spanish football in recent years with Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior a repeat target by opposing fans in stadiums and on social media.
During an emotional press conference while on international duty with Brazil in March, he broke down in tears, stating that racism was getting worse because offenders were going unpunished, leaving him feeling “less and less like playing football”.
Earlier this month, a fan was fined €60,001 (£50,686; $66,707) and banned from sports stadiums for two years by Spain’s Superior Sports Council (CSD) for racially abusing Vinicius Jr online.
In June, three individuals were sentenced to eight months in prison in Spain after being convicted of racially abusing Vinicius Jr during a May 2023 La Liga match at Valencia. This marked the first conviction for racist insults in a football stadium in Spain.
Additional reporting: Mario Cortegana, Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero
(Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
