Celta Vigo denounces racist slurs against player at Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Celta Vigo midfielder Ilaix Moriba was targeted by racist insults from Barcelona fans after their La Liga game on Saturday, his coach said.

Celta coach Claudio Giráldez said the 22-year-old Moriba, who is from Guinea, was subjected to racist slurs when he was substituted late in the game won by Barcelona 4-3.

“It’s sad that this continues to occur in soccer today,” Giráldez told reporters.

Moriba came up through Barcelona’s training academy before making its first team as a promising young talent. He signed for Leipzig in 2021 when the Germany club reportedly offered him a better contract. Since then, he has played on loan in the Spanish league at Valencia, Getafe and, now, Celta.

Spanish soccer has been plagued by recurring incidents of Black players being targeted by racist slurs during games.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer