Papakouli Diop (pictured), a midfielder with Spanish league La Liga’s Levante football club, was the victim of racist chants as his team defeated Atletico Madrid. After being taunted with monkey chants, Diop responded on the field by dancing and later made a pointed statement to the press.
SEE ALSO: Wrongfully Jailed Cameroonian Sneaks Letter Out of Chinese Prison, N.Y.C. Woman Finds It
Diop, 28, was heading off the field as the contest ended 2-0 in Levante’s favor. Fans in support of Atletico Madrid began making monkey noises, sparking Diop’s dance.
Watch Diop’s rebellious dance here:
Atletico Madrid players took the dance as a slight, and a fight broke out between the squads. Later, Diop explained he wasn’t dancing in victory; instead, he was trying to shut down the insults from the crowd in his own way.
From the AS:
“It’s an issue that has affected me a lot. I went to take a corner and part of the Atlético support started doing monkey chants. To take the heat out of the situation, I started to dance, but I didn’t insult anyone.
“I don’t have anything against the Atlético supporters, because it was only a section of their support that shouted at me. I think it’s disrespectful that it happens at all stadiums.
“It’s a provocation. I don’t know if it can be called ‘racism,’ but the monkey chanting has to be stopped now.”
The taunts against Diop were not recorded in the referee’s match report but comes just days after FC Barcelona star Dani Alves, a Brazilian, made world headlines at Villarreal when a fan threw a banana at him.
Alves picked up the banana and took a bite, getting support from other La Liga stars and international figures.
George Parris, a retired footballer from England, says he was the first to do the banana routine, according to an interview.
What do you think should be done to stop the outrageous, racist treatment of African footballers?
