A match in Spain was halted after a Moroccan player complained of racism from an opponent.
The Spanish football league match between Elche and Espanyol, which ended in a 2-2 draw on Sunday, was halted due to a complaint from Moroccan Omar El Hilali about racist abuse directed at him by Rafa Mir. The Spanish newspaper "Marca" reported that the match became heated in its final minutes, with the activation of the anti-racism protocol at the 80th minute leading to the referee stopping the match. The newspaper added: The incident began with a clash between Al-Hilali, the Espanyol player, and Rafa Mir, the Elche player, as the former turned towards the referee in a clear state of agitation, indicating that the opposing team’s striker had directed a racist insult at him. Rafa Mir, in turn, denied it with a gesture of his hand, trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation, but the referee did not hesitate, and stopped the match and informed the stadium supervisor of what had happened, so that the protocol could be activated. Play resumed after a few minutes, while tension remained present on the field in the match which ended in a 2-2 draw between the two teams. The French news agency reported that the referee's report indicated that the Elche striker, who also faces a rape charge, told the Moroccan defender: "I came here on a small boat." Mir faces a harsh penalty, although the referee confirmed that "none of the members of the refereeing panel" heard these insults. Mir, the former Valencia striker, is also still under investigation for sexually assaulting a young woman he met at a nightclub on two occasions. His club at the time did not fire him, but suspended him for two matches and fined him. He is currently playing on loan to Elche from Sevilla.
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