MADRID, Feb 16 - A leading Spanish referee has hit
out at the failure of the country's football authorities to deal
with racist abuse and pledged his support to black players who
walked off the pitch in protest.
"Those people who should be facing up to this problem are
not doing so and it is a big problem," Primera Liga referee
Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez was quoted as saying in Spanish
sports daily Marca on Wednesday.
"Of course I notice it when I am on the pitch. You hear
everything there. And I'll tell you one thing, the day a black
player decides to walk off the pitch I'll go with him. No one is
doing anything to find solutions to this problem."
Racist abuse from fans has become an increasing problem in
Spain, with visiting black players regularly greeted with monkey
chants and insults when they touch the ball.
The Spanish Football Federation does not take action against
clubs involved unless incidents are mentioned in the referee's
match report.
The toughest punishment the Federation has imposed so far
has been a fine of 600 euros (