Barcelona VP says they would never report racism on the pitch

TV cameras caught Barcelona's Sergio Busquets covering his mouth as he appeared to call Real Madrid's Marcelo a "mono" (translation: monkey, though Busquets claims he said "mucho morro" or "some nerve") during the first leg of their Champions League semifinal. After the clip spread around the internet for days, Real Madrid included it at the tail end of a video primarily fretting over second leg referee Frank de Bleeckere. Eventually, on Thursday of this week, UEFA decided the clip was worth their attention after all and opened a disciplinary case against Busquets, who could miss the Champions League final as a result.

Now, Barcelona vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu has spoken out on Spanish radio against this matter. Not the possible racism, mind you, just the fact that Real would decide against ignoring it.

Said Bartomeu to RNE (via Following Real Madrid):

"[W]e would not do this. We don't do it and we won't do it. We respect what happens on the field and we won't get involved with what happens on the field. It appears that Madrid is not doing this and they are losing this seoro that the club has always had. I don't want to talk about the issues of a club that is not mine, but I will just say that ! we would never do it because it appears to be an exaggeration to us.

I don't understand why Busquets should miss out on the final. That's something that surprises us a lot. The referee is the one who makes decisions on the field. Depriving Busquets, who is having a sensational season, of the final seems very excessive to us and we're very upset. I don't know what Seor Busquets said and what they were talking about, but they are things that happen all the time in football. If we have to put a camera on each player to follow what they say or do, this will become a circus. Football has triumphed, along with fair play"

That is...a ton of ill-advised statements for one blockquote. Starting off by saying that they don't and won't report potential instances of racism between players because they "respect what happens on the field" probably wasn't the best way to begin.

This wasn't a great way to go, either: "I don't know what Seor Busquets said and what they were talking about, but they are things that happen all the time in football." So, basically, you don't know what he said, but you're making a terrible, terrible excuse for it anyway? Just because things happen all the time doesn't mean it's cool, Josep.

And, finally, to end by once again equating Barcelona to a triumph for all of football (and don't forget fair play!) is just too much.

All together, no part of Bartomeu's statements even came close to improving this situation. In fact, they kind of did the opposite. I'd even go so far as to say that instead of speaking, he should have just dropped to the floor and grabbed his face at the start of the interview.

Photo: Getty Images