Racism Incident at Gigante de Arroyito

Brazilian goalkeeper Hugo Souza of Corinthians reported racist incidents by Rosario Central fans during a Copa Libertadores match at the Gigante de Arroyito. The match, which took place on August 13, ended in a 0-0 draw.

At 21 minutes of the second half, Souza called the Uruguayan referee Andrés Matonte to inform him about the racist insults he had received. Matonte activated the FIFA anti-racism protocol, which had been used previously during the 2026 World Cup.

Reactions and Condemnation

After the game, Souza expressed his frustration in press conferences. 'Every time we come to play here, unfortunately, it's like this. During the whole match, it seems common, but it can't be. The whole game calling me monkey, monkey, black piece of shit. It happens frequently here,' the goalkeeper said.

Rosario Central's captain, Ángel Di María, tried to calm the fans, but no one in the stadium wanted the match to be suspended. The stadium's speakers made a call to the fans not to commit racist acts, but the game continued.

Corinthian's Denunciation and Reaction

Souza also excused the players of Rosario Central, who apologized for the fan behavior. 'The players apologized to me for the fan behavior. I thank them because it wasn't the behavior of Rosario Central, but of the fans,' he recalled.

Corinthians issued a condemnation statement, in which they condemned the racist incidents. 'The club strongly condemns and laments another episode of racism in football. On Thursday night 13, during the match against Rosario Central at the Gigante de Arroyito stadium, local fans committed racist acts in the stands, directed at Corinthians goalkeeper Hugo Souza. The club will demand an investigation that allows the identification and proper punishment of the responsible fans.'

Investigation and Penalties

Conmebol requested the match footage and will work with Rosario Central to identify the fans who made the racist insults against the Brazilian goalkeeper. Penalties for such incidents usually include financial sanctions and some campaign or social media call to avoid future racist insults, so the score of the first leg will not be altered.