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FIFA’s disciplinary committee has begun proceedings against Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral related to alleged racial abuse against Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger during Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup group stage match.
As part of a statement on Tuesday night, FIFA said, according to The Athletic, that it made the decision to open proceedings “following an assessment of the match reports” from the officials.
Cabral will be allowed to play in the Mexican club’s Club World Cup matches while the investigation goes on, though Pachuca will play in one final tournament game on Thursday against Saudi side Al-Hilal.
Rudiger notified referee Ramon Abatti during injury time of Real Madrid’s 3-1 win about the allegation, and the official made the signal — a crossed arm gesture — to mark the racist abuse allegation.
The incident occurred near the end of the match as the two players jostled in the Pachuca penalty area, and Rudiger eventually went to the pitch holding his face.
A verbal altercation then occurred, and Abatti eventually sent both players away before Rudiger circled back to talk with the referee, who then made the crossed arm signal.
Cabral denied the allegation following the match, telling reporters what happened was a “fight” and that the two had “collided.”
“He said that I hit him with my hand, and then there was an argument, and the referee made the sign of racism,” Cabral said. “In Argentina we say “cagon de mierda” (a profanity used to call someone a coward), all the time I told him the same thing.”
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said following the match that he had been informed that a FIFA investigation had already been started and that the club believed Rudiger’s allegations.
“We believe him. It is unacceptable,” he said.
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