Super Eagles-eligible midfielder Christantus Uche narrated some of his ordeal as a LALIGA player.
Nigerian midfielder Christantus Uche recently narrated some of the negative experiences he has experienced in the Spanish top flight so far.
Uche, 21, joined Getafe this summer and immediately announced himself to the division by scoring on his debut. It has been weeks since his ecstatic post-match reaction following his debut goal against Athletic Club, but that moment has not accurately captured his experience in LALIGA.
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It has not been an all-the-way delightful experience for the Owerri-born midfielder. In a recent interview with ESPN Africa, he revealed how he has struggled with racism and refereeing bias.
What Chrisantus said
The box-to-box midfielder told the ESPN interviewer that referees typically look the other way when he gets fouled in LALIGA, whereas he has noticed that other players get favourable calls in similar situations.
“First two matches or three matches in La Liga. I saw it with my eyes. The referees, they are so bad, they are so bad,” Uche said.
“They will kick me. The referee will just say I should stand up. No, it's foul. You have to blow it. But if they kick another person, the referee will just blow it and it's so painful.
“It's so painful; you cannot do anything and you don't have any power because the referee has power to do anything he wants to do. No, he has to stop it. Me, I will fall down. They will, they will kick me out and I will fall down in front of the referee and the referee will not do anything.
The Nigerian midfielder went on to narrate his experience with fans in the stadium. Although what he said was bleeped out, it can be discerned that he said fans in the stadium called him “P*ta negro,” a racist curse phrase.
“No, it's no good. Both the fans, some of the fans will be hailing you, P***, n****, you are n***, this this, that that, no, it's no good. It's no good.”
Uche is the latest to shine light on acts of racism in LALIGA stadiums. Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr has been at the forefront of the movement, and some months ago, three Valencia fans who racially abused him at the Mestalla received a prison sentence.