FIFA Racism Protocol Triggered After Incident Involving Rudiger

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has reported a racist abuse from Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral during their Club World Cup match, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

The incident occurred in extra time after a collision in the penalty area, with Rudiger falling to the ground and then alerting referee Ramon Abatti, who made the "X" gesture with his arms - FIFA's official signal for racist abuse.

Cabral denied the allegations after the match, saying he used an offensive expression in his own language, but not with racist content. Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso confirmed the launch of the investigation, stressing that it is "unacceptable" and that they trust Rudiger. Meanwhile, the German defender's representatives expressed skepticism about any real action by the authorities.

Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano said he had not been informed of the incident and defended his player, saying he has never been involved in such cases.

This is one of the first cases where the "X" gesture is used from FIFA's new protocol, designed to combat racism in football.

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso confirmed after the match that an investigation has been opened into the incident: "Toni told us what happened, the FIFA protocol has been activated and an investigation is underway. We believe him. It is unacceptable."

After being briefed on Cabral's explanation, Rudiger's representatives reiterated their stance to the New York Times sports portal The Athletic: "There is an ongoing investigation, but ultimately nothing concrete happens," they wrote.

"Every now and then we start a social media campaign, everyone feels good about it, and then everything goes back to the way it was before. Nothing really changes."