A judge in Brazil has ordered the release from prison of four players from River Plate’s women’s soccer team, all of whom were arrested for racial slurs during a match against Gremio.
Judge Fernando Oliveira Camargo decided to free Argentine club quartet Candela Díaz, Camila Duarte, Juana Cangaro and Milagros Díaz, on the condition that they stay. Brazil and appeared in court in São Paulo every month until the case was concluded.
The players spent Christmas at the city’s Karandiru Penitentiary after the incident during a Brazil Ladies Cup match on December 21. The match in Sao Paulo was stopped in the first half when Candela Diaz made an apparent monkey gesture at a ball boy, which was shown on TV broadcast footage.
Gremio players walked out in protest over the incident, initially brawling after the Brazilian team scored a goal in the group stage game. The referee subsequently showed red cards to six River Plate players and ended the match as the visitors did not have enough players to continue the game.
The score was 1–1 but the referee awarded the match to Gremio, who beat compatriots Bahia on penalties to win the final of the invitational tournament. The Brazil Ladies Cup also banned Rivera from the tournament for two years.
After the game, Candela Díaz, Milagros Díaz, Duarte and Cangaro – all of whom are Argentine – were detained by São Paulo police. The quartet’s lawyer, Thais Sankari, told the AP: “We see a great arbitrariness in this decision and a desire to send a message to the Brazilian judiciary. They have used this case for that purpose.”
Gremio coach, Thysan Passos, said his team said his River players used to call them “monkeys”. Organizers said future editions would immediately ban any participating team whose athletes or staff “engage in racist gestures on the field of play”.
Nadi also condemned the discriminatory gesture. The club said it was “taking appropriate disciplinary action and will continue to work to eradicate this type of behaviour”. The four arrested players have yet to comment publicly on the case.
Argentine clubs have often been sanctioned by South American sports bodies due to racist gestures by their fans, particularly in men’s soccer matches involving Brazilian clubs.
