MADRID — Authorities in Spain have apprehended three individuals for allegedly directing racist taunts at players during a recent match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. This incident took place last month when the two teams faced off in a highly anticipated “clasico” encounter, which culminated in a decisive 4-0 victory for Barcelona.

The National Police of Spain announced on Saturday that they have gathered sufficient evidence indicating that the suspects used derogatory language to insult two players during the game. Although the police did not disclose the identities of the targeted players, reports from the local media, supported by video footage from the event, suggest that racist insults were directed towards Barcelona forwards Lamine Yamal and Raphinha from the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

In response to the incident, Real Madrid promptly condemned the behavior and expressed its commitment to assist in identifying those responsible for the offensive remarks. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges that Spanish football confronts in its effort to eliminate racist behavior directed at players, a struggle that has particularly impacted Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid in recent times.