Title: Valencia Stands by Diakhabi Amid Denial from Juan Cara Over Racist Remarks
The La Liga match between Valencia and Cadiz was halted for 20 minutes last Sunday due to allegations of racial insults towards Mutard Diakabi by Juan Cara. In solidarity, Diakhabi left the field, and Valencia returned to play only under the threat of sanctions.
According to the referee's report, Diakhabi claimed that Cara called him a "terrible black man," an incident that allegedly went unnoticed by any member of the referee's team. The video of the game showed Diakhabi looking angry and pursuing Cara across the field before being restrained by teammates and opposing players.
When Diakhabi was escorted off the field, Cara was seen covering his mouth with his hand and talking with the coach at the side-line. After the game, Valencia returned to play, issuing a statement that they had done so under duress.
"What happened was a media circus, a public lynching," Kara said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday. "The best thing for me and Diakhabi would be to meet in a room and explain what happened. Instead, everything that happened was a circus. I was judged before the game was even over."
Kara questioned the validity of the allegations, stating that there were 20-25 cameras and many microphones near him, but only 7-8 players heard anything when Diakhabi claimed to have been insulted. Since the incident last Sunday, no other players from either team have come forward to provide firsthand information.
Valencia released a strong-worded statement titled "Juan Cara, We Don't Believe You," expressing disappointment in Cara's post-game denial and his alleged attack on Diakhabi and other Valencia players. The statement concludes by reaffirming their support for Diakhabi and condemning Cara's actions.
Neither Cadiz nor Cara have responded to Valencia's statement publicly. Diakhabi himself spoke for the first time on Tuesday in a video on his Twitter account, expressing his disappointment and hoping for sanctions from La Liga.
La Liga President Javier Tebas commented on the incident, stating, "We are analyzing the images to find out what happened" and explaining that something had obviously transpired because the Valencia players appeared very angry. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) did not provide a comment to CNN upon request.
Both Cadiz and Valencia suspended their football games for a few days to clarify the situation.
Footnote: The information provided is up-to-date as of October 2023. For the latest updates, refer to reputable sports news outlets or official La Liga announcements.
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